Haunted School
by schillingklaus
Summary: Occultist Multiplot Romance;The PCA is still cursed. Megan Parker and her bfs Dustin and Nevel investigate the curse. Megan/Dustin/Nevel P., Chase/Addie S., Lola/Drake, Stacey/Moze ...


** The Haunted School**

* * *

** Klaus Schilling **

* * *

**Rating: **PG 13

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Zoey 101_ , _Drake & Josh_ , _iCarly_ , _Unfabulous_ , _Naked Bros_ , _True Jackson VP_ , _Ned's Declassified SSG_

* * *

**Abstract**

**Fandoms: **

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_Zoey 101_

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_Drake & Josh_

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_iCarly_

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_Unfabulous_

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_Drake & Josh_

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_Ned's Declassified SSG_

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**Genre: **

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Gothic Romance

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Mystery

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Spiritual

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Horror

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Fluff

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Family

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Friendship

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Science Fiction

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**Characters. **

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Dustin Brooks/Nevel Papperman/Megan Parker

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Zoey Brooks/Geena Fabiano/True Jackson

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Chase Matthews/Addie Singer

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Logan Reese/Maris Bingham/Patti Perez/Cranberry/Missy Meany

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Quinn Pensky/Josh Nichols/Simon Nelson Cooke

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Lola Martinez/Drake Parker

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Dana Cruz/Chuck Javers

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Jenifer Mosely/Stacey Dillsen

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**Summary. **Forks off from _Zoey 101_ canon after _Curse At PCA_. Many new students intervene. The ghost of Charles Galloway is still secretly around. Who, if anyone, may recognise this and resolve his mystery?

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**Table of Contents**

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1. Ghost Wrestling

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1.1. The Day After

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1.1.

* * *

1.1.

* * *

1.1.

* * *

1.2. Drake Returns To PCA

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1.2.

* * *

1.2.

* * *

1.2.

* * *

1.2.

* * *

1.2.

* * *

1.2.

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1.3. After The Tournament

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1.3.

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1.3.

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1.3.

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1.3.

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2. The Talent Shop

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2.1. What to do

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2.1.

* * *

2.1.

* * *

2.1.

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2.2. Before The Performance

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2.2.

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2.2.

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2.2.

* * *

2.2.

* * *

2.2.

* * *

2.2.

* * *

2.3. The Performance

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2.3.

* * *

2.3.

* * *

2.3.

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2.3.

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2.4. After The Show

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2.4.

* * *

2.4.

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2.4.

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2.4.

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3. Open MIC Night

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3.1. Before The Event

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3.1.

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3.1.

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3.1.

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3.2. The Event

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3.2.

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3.2.

* * *

3.2.

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3.2.

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3.2.

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3.3. After The Event

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3.3.

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3.3.

* * *

3.3.

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3.3.

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4. Burned Offerings

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4.1. Before The Party

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4.1.

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4.1.

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4.1.

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4.1.

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4.2. The Barbecue Feast

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4.2.

* * *

4.2.

* * *

4.2.

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4.2.

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4.2.

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4.2.

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4.2.

* * *

4.2.

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4.2.

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4.2.

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4.3. After The Festival

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4.3.

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4.3.

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4.3.

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4.3.

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5. Science vs. Curse

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5.1. Before Demonstration

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5.1.

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5.1.

* * *

5.1.

* * *

5.1.

* * *

5.1.

* * *

5.1.

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5.2. The Big Machine

* * *

5.2.

* * *

5.2.

* * *

5.2.

* * *

5.2.

* * *

5.2.

* * *

5.2.

* * *

5.2.

* * *

5.2.

* * *

5.2.

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5.2.

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5.3. After the Demonstration

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5.3.

* * *

5.3.

* * *

5.3.

* * *

5.3.

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5.3.

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6. Beauty Paigeant

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6.1. Megan at PCA

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6.1.

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6.1.

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6.1.

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6.1.

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6.2. The Contest

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6.2.

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6.2.

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6.3. After The Contest

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6.3.

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6.3.

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7. Takato

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7.1. The Tidings

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7.1.

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7.1.

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7.1.

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7.2. Prom Preparations

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7.2.

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7.2.

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7.2.

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7.2.

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7.3. The Prom

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7.3.

* * *

7.3.

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7.3.

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7.3.

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7.3.

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7.3.

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7.4. After The Prom

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7.4.

* * *

7.4.

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7.4.

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7.4.

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8. Finale On Maui

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8.1. Arrival

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8.1.

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8.1.

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8.1.

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8.2. The Locket

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8.2.

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8.2.

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8.2.

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8.2.

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8.2.

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8.2.

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8.2.

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8.2.

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8.2.

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8.2.

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8.2.

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8.2.

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8.2.

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8.2.

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8.3. Conclusions

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8.3.

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8.3. The End

* * *

** Chapter 1. Ghost Wrestling**

* * *

** 1.1. The Day After**

* * *

Zoey was exhausted. That idiot of wrestling coach had forced her to make it into his team. And he treated her like dirt. She had to work out every minute. There was no sense in it, given that even Duke Blatzberg [[1]] , the dumbest of all wrestling oxen, was in no better condition than Zoey, yet he had not to go through that insane workout.

Quinn and Lola started massaging Zoey from head to toey. They took turns with Chase and Michael.

Quinn remarked that girls were more agile than boys, and this was going to be Zoey's chance in the county championships.

Zoey's task was nowhere easy: She was supposed to mess with Chuck Javers, a raging bully who maimed his opponents without a trace of remorse. She trembled and shivered for the mere thought.

"Don't worry …" Chase told Zoey. "My cousin Corey [[2]] from Phonix is coming soon. He is a skilled karate fighter and may beat Javers up when he hurts you. I already wanted to call him when Vince Blake had threatened me, but Vincent has destroyed my cellular phone.[[3]]"

Zoey thanked Chase ironically for his concern.

At least it was easier to fight Chuck Javers than to fight a ghost like Charles Galloway.

Zoey was happy that Galloway was gone for good, wasn't he?

* * *

At the same time in a sushi factory near San Diego …

Drake Parker and Joshuah Nichols were exhausted. They had been working at the conveyor belt for several hours straight. They needed the money in order to repay their parents for the loss of the furniture. [[4]] They had been stupid enough to leave the house key to strangers whom they had thought to be from some game show. Alas, they were thieves who cleaned off half of the apartment.

The caporal yelled: "Hey guys! You suck at the belt! Tomorrow, you will deliver the stuff, instead. " She looked at some sheet. "This is the address … a sushi bar in Malibu …"

* * *

At home, Drake and Josh were already awaited by their evil sister Megan Parker.

"Hey boobs!" Megan grinned. She used to namecall her brothers like that.

Drake and Josh shivered in expectation of a vicious prank. "Leave us alone! Tomorrow, we have to deliver a load of dead fish and other orange stuff to a sushi bar on a campus of a boarding school at Malibu."

"A boarding school?" Megan's eyes widened. "I've always wanted to go to a boarding school with cool kids. No boobs, no perverted step dad, no …"

"Dream on!" Drake took a closer look at the destination sheet. "Hey, I think to know that school … it's the Pacific Coast Academy"

Josh tried to employ his brain, but he didn't get far.

"I've played at their spring party,[[5]] that was like two years ago!" Drake smiled. "There was that hot blonde … Zoey was her name …"

Josh was annoyed by Drake's attitude of making out with every pretty girl. He twitched. "Now I remember … Zoey Brooks had made those T-shirts for your band?"

Drake nodded.

Megan scratched her head. "Take me with you!"

The alternative were terrible pranks.

Drake and Josh had learnt to give in, just for the sake of survival.

* * *

** 1.2. Drake Returns To PCA**

* * *

Drake, Josh, and Megan arrived at the PCA. They went straight to a restaurant named "Sushi Rocks".

"Sorry, I'm looking for a certian Cafou …"

"Kazu … That's me!" Kazu grinned. "You're from the Sushi Plant?"

Drake nodded.

"He's right!" Josh remarked.

So far, nobody had recognised Drake in his delivery boy outfit and his fishy smell.

"Hey, aren't you a rock artist?" Kazu scratched his head. "Drake Parker, right?"

Drake insisted in whispering. "Yes, I am, but don't make a fuss about it." Drake preferred not to incite the masses of fangirls that he probably had got on this campus. "But one thing … do you know a certain Zoey Brooks? An old friend of mine …"

Kazu nodded. "Sure! Ms. Brooks is one of our school's wrestling team members, so she should be here any moment, as the team has got a union before the wrestling matches."

Megan was annoyed by Drake's obvious attempts.

Along came the wrestlers.

Drake had no problem remembering Zoey. He stepped up to her. "Hi Zoey, could we …" His voice was suggestive.

Josh poked Drake in the ribs. "What he wants to say, we need new shirts for the band."

A rather short middle school boy stormed the bar. "Zoey … is the ghost still around? I'm afraid …"

"Dustin! The ghost is gone!" Zoey sighed. Her little brother was still afraid. She tried to excuse him.

Drake and Josh wondered about the ghost.

Megan needed a guide for a tour around the campus, as she was interested in joining this wonderful school. "May I borrow your little brother for a campus tour?"

Zoey nodded solemnly. When Megan and Dustin were out on the open campus, she told Drake and Josh about Charles Galloway, making Josh twitch and Drake tremble.

The coach of the wrestling team was a bit annoyed.

Drake wasn't very much astonished about girls in the wrestler team. He had once lost to Lucy, one of his ex-girlfriends [[6]]in a wrestling match. He decided better not to bother Zoey again with any makeout attempt whatsoever, for he feared ending up all bruised and broken.

* * *

Dustin showed Megan around.

"I've seen they sell Japanese candy in the sushi pub!" Megan beamed. She could die for Japanese candy. She had started dating a guy named Corey Matthews just in order to get at more of it.

It was hard to get at them without suitable connections.

Dustin nodded. "Yeah, that's great. I love all sorts of candy, not just Japanese one."

Megan chuckled.

"So … how are you related to Drake?" Dustin wanted to know.

Megan told Dustin about her elder brothers, or, as she called them, the boobs.

"Cool! You must be the coolest girl in your classes, with such a brother!" Dustin beamed.

Megan sighed. "I do love Drake and I'm proud of him, but he's such a jerk, he needs his regular kicks in the hindside." She chuckled, and this made Dustin chuckle as well. "Anyways, it's a bit annoying beoing known as the little sister of someone. I wish that Drake got referred to as my elder brother, instead." She sighed deeply.

"Sorry, I didn't know that, but I definitely should …" Dustin was embarassed. "See, Zoey is usually someone I can relay her, and I realy love her as my elder sister, but sometime she gets overprotective, yet, as of recent, she often neglects me, the more she hangs out with those boys and girls of her grade…"

Megan nodded. She felt often enough in a similar way about Drake and even Josh. "Maybe we should show more them that we need them, and that they should care about us?"

Dustin nodded, but they did not exactly know how to do that.

"You've talked about a ghost … I've read something on Californiabn School News Channel, so that happened on here?" Megan wondered.

Dustin confirmed Megan's assumption. "Yeah! And it scares me …" Dustin shrugged. "I look under my bed each night before sleeping …"

Megan chuckled. "I've been afraid of ghosts when I was younger. But I've learnt to play the oboe, and I tell you, with music, it's possible to conjure and command the deceased …"

Dustin was impressed.

Megan told Dustin to keep this secret, for the time being. Not even her best friend Janie was aware of that. But Dustin was the first boy she felt really comfy with, and next to whom she could be herself. As of yet, she didn't know why, but times were sure going to come …

* * *

The wrestling team had just left the bar.

Kazu was activationg the plasma screen in the guests' room. "Quinn Pensky has tuned that thing, and the local campus channel. Now we can watch the wrestling matches live from here!" Kazu beamed.

Josh remembered something. "Quinn Pensky? I've heard about her … she has been the winner of last year's state-wide science fair!"

"Who cares?" Drake shrugged with ignorance

Josh stared oddly at Drake. "I do! Quinn must be very cool! She has beaten Mindy! And you know what that means!"

"Sure!" Drake grumbled. "It means she's just another dork!"

Josh was annoyed. "I admire Quinn!"

Kazu stepped up to Drake. "In a few weeks, we will have our annual Open Mike Nite. I'm sort of a sponsor of the event. So I ask you …"

Drake beamed.

"Sure!Josh answered for Drake. Maybe that was going to be the occasion for Josh to have a conversation with Quinn about advanced molecular chemistry. He knew that she was up to that. He had tried to talk about it with Mindy, but she had always distracted him with kisses and stuff. And Mindy enjoyed to abuse each understandable gap in Josh's knowledge in order to make him appear as an idiot."

Dustin and Megan entered the pub and sat down next to Drake and Josh. They wanted to watch Zoey in the ring, of course.

Drake sighed. "Too bad I haven't got my guitar on me, otherwise I'd heat up the atmosphere a bit …"

"Take mine!" A voice was heard behind Drake. It was not quite unfamiliar to Drake and Megan.

"Addie!"[[7]] Drake, Josh, and Megan yelled unison. They had not expected to see Megan's former best friend again.

"I'm here in order to cheer for my wrestling team. Our star is heavy-weight Body Slam Bubba[[8]] ." Addie explained when she rendered her guitar unto Drake. "So who is Belleview's star wrestler? You're sure here in order to cheer for him, right?"

Really, Drake had not had known about the wrestling tournament until Kazu had said so. Even more, he did not know who was in Belleview's wrestling team.

Megan came to Drake's rescue. She was better informed than the boobs. "Lucy is going to fight in the middle weights' class, Witherspoon [[9]] for the heavy weights."

A shockwave went through Drake's bone and marrow. One of his ex-girlfriend was here, and he had not known of it. She had let him down because he was too much of a jerk.

Josh was equally consternated. When he had been the equipment manager for the football team, he had made cookies for the team. Witherspoon had turned sick from those. It was definitely not someone he was keen on seeing here.

Drake clamped his guitar when Zoey entered the ring for the first time.

But what was that? Her male opponent withdrew without reason.

Drake remembered when he thought that wrestling against girls was unmanly. Lucy had shown him another way. Now he was more careful and was never going to underestimate girls in the ring again.

"What a boob!" Megan remarked about that coward.

Dustin agreed wholeheartedly.

When Body Slam Bubba was called into the ring, Addie took the time to introduce two of her friends."These are Geena Fabiano and Zachariah Carter Schwartz!"

Her friends smiled.

"Zoey is impressive!" Carter Schwartz remarked. "She doesn't even look like a tomboy!"

Dustin nodded wholeheartedly. "Her main hobby is fashion design. She has already made T-shirts, right here for Drake, then backpacks, and a lot more!"

Geena's eyes twinkled. "Fashion design?" She had developed great ambitions towards that goal, as well!

"I don't think highly of the PCA athletes, but Zoey is different …" Zach admitted. "I've played against their basket ball team, it sucked like hell! Especially their coach, he couldn't even pronounce _sushi_"

Coach Keller [[10]] , whom Zach had just defamed, stood right behind them, yelling into Kazu's direction. He was waiting impatiently for his California rolls.

They saw Jeremiah Trottman, the moderator of the broadcast. He was assisted by some bubbly, hot dark-haired girl who obviously had not as much knowledge about wrestling, way less than about cosmetics and good kissers.

"Hey! Kissing is my greatest gift, next to playing the guitar!" Drake beamed.

"That's Lola Martinez!" Dustin explained. "She's Zoey's roomie! She takes every chance to make it on TV, because she wants to become a Hollywood star soon."

Josh shuddered with disgust. The last Hollywood star actress he had come to know was Ashley Blake[[11]] , an arrogant diva. Lola was probably similar.

Drake's eyes bugged out. "Dustin …may I meet that Lola girl?" He asked the dwarf.

"I may send you a picture of her bra …" Dustin offered.

Josh explained that they were going to show up again for the Open Mike Night.

Unfortunately, the event was going to last past midnight, too long for kids like Megan and Dustin to stay up. Thus Megan was not allowed to accompany Drake.

"I'll ask Zoey to let Megan sleep in her dorm for that night …" Dustin proposed.

Megan cheered.

Drake consented, against better judgement.

The screen showed how Duke Blatzberg, the heavy weight of PCA, was just sent flying by Body Slam Bubba.

"I'm not sure, but that Bubba guy looks a lot like Carl[[12]] , the boyfriend of the girls' dorm adviser, Coco" Dustin remarked.

"Carl is Bubba's elder brother!" Zach informed them.

Dustin was going to introduce Logan, Chase, Quinnn, and Michael to Drake and Josh, as soon as they were shown. Quinn's appearance made Josh swoon.

Megan unpacked her oboe. She twinkled into Dustin's direction, telling him to watch carefully. Then she started to support Drake's performance with an oboe backup.

* * *

None of the boys that Zoey should have faced so far had the guts to actually fight her, until the last one: Chuck Javers, the brutest jock of all. He was not heavier than Zoey, but full of muscles and devoid of brain. Zoey knew that it was hopeless. Quinn had told her to look for the weaknesses of Chuck, but there were none. The coach had wanted to feign an injury and sub Scottie for Zoey, for he was now fresh, but Zoey refused to obey to that lousy trick. Scotty was without a trace of a snowball's chance in a blast furnace, anyways.

And quite unlike all the cowardly jerks before him, Javers did not refuse to fight a girl.

Suddenly, a wave of dance, music, and raised arms reached the arena. Drake's music performance had spread just like a domino cascade from Kazu's bar to the arena. The spectators stood up and sang along.

Chase Matthews clamped his guitar and played the same tune as Drake.

* * *

Take me to the Matador  
He will know just what it's for  
He will help me with my life  
He will open every door  
When Chuck Javers's in the ring  
You need all the help you can  
And the Mariachis sing  
With the lonely mandoline  
See those people shout out loud  
Give me more and give me more  
And I'm thinking to myself  
Take me to the Matador

Take me to the Matador  
He will fill and ease my soul  
He will give me confidence  
When I think I've lost control  
He will help me with my muse  
In the age of win and lose  
He can help me with my love  
Dance the dance that lovers do  
Rumba with the velvet glove  
To the Californian moon.  
See one thousand violins  
Golden oboes soar on high  
Waves and waves of joyful hymns  
Silver sonnets reach the sky[[13]]

* * *

Zoey was totally inspired by Drake's performance, although he was a few houses away. She become stronger from minute to minute,

The battle was over. Javers was despaired. The judges had to declare Zoey the winner of the match.

* * *

Zoey was surprised, and so were Chase, Logan, Michael, Lola, and Quinn. How had she been able to beat Chuck Javers? No matter the reason, she was now escorted on her victory march across the campus.

Megan played the triumphal ode from G. Verdi's _Aida_.

Michael Barret joined with his flute.

A cellist [[14]] and a violinist [[15]] were nearby and followed their example.

Dustin started singing for his elder sister of whom he was endlessly proud.

A girl that was going to turn out as Lola's little sister arrived in time. Her voice was downright professional.

* * *

S'intrecci il loto al lauro  
Sul crin dei vincitori!  
Nembo gentil di fiori  
Stenda sull' armi un vel!  
Danziam, Californese,  
Le mistiche carole,  
Come d'intorno al sole  
Danzano gli astri in ciel!

Vieni, o guerriero vindice,  
Vieni a gioir con noi;  
Sul passo degli eroi,  
I lauri, i fior versiam!  
Grazie agli Dei, agli Dei rendete  
nel fortunato di! [[16]]

* * *

Nothing could stop Zoey's stride across the campus.

Lola's eyes met briefly Drake's when she followed Zoey down the campus aisle. She was totally enchanted! Too bad there was no time left for this evening, but he was soon going to come back to the PCA for the Open Mike Night …

Finally, Megan put her oboe back into the scabbard. She let her eyes stroll across the campus whom she had already enclosed in her heart. This was the school she wanted to go to, as soon as possible. But who was that guy next to Chase? No other than Corey, her boyfriend, sort of. Alas, Corey was too much of a jerk, and he had manners bruter than Drake's. Whereas Dustin was nice, sweet, clever, quirky, … she swooned at the thought. Corey had never made her swoon, he had just promised her Japanese candy. Fortunately Zoey knew now where the candy was from: Kazu's bar. She could get soome of it from her friends at this school any time, so there was no longer any need to put up with Corey's disgusting habits. Seeing him standing there made her decision easy. "Corey, it's over!"

Corey wasn't really hurt. Like Drake, he had a long queue of girlfriends waiting.

Addie and Zack congratulated Bubba who had just defeated Jenifer Mosely from James K. Polk High in La Mesa.

Geena approached Zoey. "You're really a fashion designer? You certainly don't look like a wrestling ox … or cow …"

Zoey confirmed Geena's rumour.

Geena decided on site that she had to join the Pacific Coast Academy as soon as possible.

Jenifer Mosely, better known as Moze, went to her friends Simon Nelson Cook and Ned Bigby, sighing deeply. "I've been so close! But Bubba swept my into oblivion with his hip slam."

Cookie and Ned comforted their friend.

Cookie was up to something more: "There's Quinn Pensky, the greatest teenage engineer west of the Mississippi! I've got to meet her for instructions. I need to improve my built-in navigation systems …" Cookie thought of himself as a cyborg. His garments were stuffed with electronic gadgets. And today he was so close to his idol Quinn.

Accidentlaly Josh had the same idea at the same time. He approached Quinn. Not being aware of Cookie's movement, the inevitable was going to happen: Crash!

* * *

While Zoey enjoyed her unexpected triumph, Chuck Javers felt destroyed. He went back to the car where his girlfriend Dana Cruz was waiting.

"You dare to lose? Against _Zoey Brooks?_ " Dana still didn't get it. She had travelled back from Paris in order to date the toughest guy in the world, just in order to see him lose against her old enemy Zoey.

"But really …" Chuck trembled. "I felt like something invisible held me ball and chain, a ghost or something …"

"A ghost? You're dreaming!" Dan stared at Chuck. But she remembered the recent news about Charles Galloway. What had been going on? She decided to forget about the whole tournament and engage with her beloved Chuck in a private wrestling match.

* * *

** 1.3. After The Tournament**

* * *

Drake, Josh, and Megan were on their way back to San Diego Belleview.

Drake sighed. "Yiu were right, Zoey would never …. but her roomie Lola is thousands of times hotter to the touch, and she's downright bubbly." He swoomned like nobody's business, almost taking all of his caution away.

Josh amonished Drake to pay attention. He was going to ride the van against the next tree, or into Opra. [[17]]

Usually, Megan would have laughed about the boobs, but she remained silent, swooning without a word.

Well, whatever the reason, in a few weeks, they were scheduled to meet Dustin, Lola, and Quinn again. At that point, they had no clue that they were going to make another field trip to the PCA, earlier than expected …

* * *

Quinn, Lola, and Zoey went back to their dorms.

"I've seen Drake Parker! He has even smiled at me …" Lola beamed. "I've heard he's the best kisser in California!"

"Maybe … but he's also one of the greatest jerks." Zoey added.

"You're just envious because he's turned you down!" Lola boomed.

Zoey laughed. She had turned Drake down, not vice versa!

Quinn looked into her science book. "The probability for the crash between those two guys crashing randomly in front of my nose was …"

"Grow up!" Lola growled.

Zoey had to separate her bickering roomies. "It is still scary how a few notes of music have turned the tide … downright spooky …"

Quinn chuckled. "I wonder what other science geeks think about Galloway … I should ask Nichols and Cooke …"

* * *

Cookie was bitterly disappointed because he had run into Josh when he had beeen so close to talking to Quinn about programming robots.

"You know how to reach her, so …" Moze replied. "But I've lost the championship, and I'll be the eternal loser! Suzie will taunt me endlessly … Especially as Zoey won. I'm so envious of her and could do something terrible to …"

"Pease, the Moze that I know wouldn't do that …" Ned begged his friend. "Maybe you should learn from Zoey … I wish the three of us could transfer to the PCA … the beach, the girls, hot music …"

The three of them wished to return to the PCA soon again. Little was it beknownst unto them that the next occasion for that was just around the corner.

* * *

Addie felt fantastic. She had watched Body Slam Bubba winning the championship. She had borrowed her guitar to Drake, yes, the very great Drake.

Geena swooned. Zoey was going to be her idol, from now forever and one day. She was a brilliant designer from whom she could learn everything, and she attractted the boys faster than nectar attracted the bees. Geena wished to be so much like Zoey.

The only one disappointed was Zack. "You really like a school with all those rich spoilt kids? Come on! You could do a lot better!" Alas, it was two versus one. Zach stood no chance against the girls' decision. Thus he felt compelled to join the girls to the PCA, should they get approved.

Dustin fell asleep, and he had to think and dream about Megan. He was very curious about what she was able to do with her oboe. He wished to go through as many adventures as possible with Megan, the first girl that made him swoon from afar.

* * *

** Chapter 2. The Talent Shop**

* * *

** 2.1. What to do**

* * *

The very same week, Mr. Thatcher [[18]] announced the PCA Middle School Talent Show.

Dustin smiled emphatically. He wanted to win this year's contest, so he was going to be the coolest boy of his classes. But what to do? He wanted to saw a virgin into half, but were there any virtuous virgins left at the PCA? Unfortunately Zoey had the intention to spend that evening at a book presentation at Reader's Corner, half the way down to LA. Sawing Lola would make him cool, but she feared that he could saw her bra into half. His latest resort was asking a boy to dress as a girl. He tried Robert Carmichael, [[19]] aka Scooter, but he knew that Scooter was a coward. He was going to have to bribe him with gummy worms. But then he had a better idea … why not ask his new friend from San Diego? Megan was extraordinarily cool, she would blow the competitors away, if not figuratively, then literally with her oboe. Dustin went to his laptop and started the Interweb Instant Messenger, running on an old version of Quinndoze QP, an operational system invented and maintained by Quinn Pensky. Unfortunately Dustin had only an old version at his disposal, so he wondered what the new versions were like, undoubtfully they were the best software ever written.

* * *

Megan beamed. "Boobs, may you take me to the PCA, next Saturday? Dustin needs me for a talent shop. Middle school only, so no Blues brothers!" Megan grinned. She remembered when Drake and Josh had won a talent shop at Belleview. [[20]]

Alas, the boobs had different reasons to go to Malibu again.

Josh hoped to get to talk to Quinn about the latest chemical formulae.

Drake hoped to be able to make out with Lola Martinez.

"Do you know that Robby goes to the PCA?"Megan asked.

The boobs had been clueless, but now they understood why their annoying foe had not been seen often, as of recent. Yet it was another reason to go to the PCA and show it to the annoying neighbours' kid.

As Megan had mentioned the old Blues Brother number, he had an idea … "Why not ask Helen to be their moderator for the talent show?"

Josh and Megan agreed wholeheartedly. In no case should Jerkemiah Slothman, or whatever his name was, give yet another lame moderation. The one of the wrestling festival had been so sluggish …

* * *

Dustin had already had the feeling of being neglected by Zoey. This had been growing strong when, juyst a few days after the wrestling weekend, the grandma of Chase Matthews had died. Zoey was now always by his side, almost to the degree of not knowing anymore that she had a little brother. For that reason, Dustin had jumped into the well,swimming around like a fish. Vice principal Thatcher had caught him, and Zoey was upset. Dustin had blamed his roomies with having incited him, thus Dean Rivers had chosen to give Dustin a new roommate.

"I'm Nevel Papperman!" The new roomie entered Dustin's room, gazing enigmatically. There was something strange in Nevel's eyes, and the way he walked was downright atactic.

"Hi … I'm Dustin …" He was slightly scared.

"I've come in order to investigate the ghost …" Nevel told Dustin. "Don't tell that around, my mission is secret!"

"Yeah?" Dustin was astonished.

Nevel grinned. "I'm an expert for ancient curses, and this school is under one."

"Charles Galloway?" Dustin was perplexed. "That was like 50 years ago, and the school is not much older than a century"

"Don't get misguided by those puny facts!" Nevel boomed fanatically, "Seek for the truth, Dustin! Do you seek it? You seek it!"

Dustin scratched his head. He was genuinely interested. "OK … I do whatever you say"

Nevel grinned. "Do you like campfires?" He opened his laptop which showed a pic of a campfire. Background music was playing. Nevel warmed his hands over the picture of the fire, relaxing seemingly. "Do you want to dance, Dustin?"

Dustin shrugged. "Why not?" He stood up and let Nevel sweep him across the floor.

* * *

** 2.2. Before The Performance**

* * *

Zoey was desperate. She wanted to go to a lecture by her favourite Author J.T. Hawrthorne. Yet she had not found anyone to get her there, and Dorm Adviser Coco Wexler, one of the few adults who were still basically available, requested a meal of Michael Barret's ravioli in turn for a ride. Zoey had asked Michael, but he was forced to build a cotton swab pyramid with some quirky Stacey Dillsen. The latter talked with a penetrant lisp. She knew that she could get Michael to make some ravioli for Coco once she found someone to help Stacey fixing the pyramid.

Along came Chase Matthews. "Hi Zoey! Help me! A hoard of cartoon freaks are after my soul."

"OK …" Zoey saw her chance. "Help Stacey building her pyramid, and I will help you get rid of Firewire and his gang!" She knew that Chase didn't like to do something by Stacey's side, nobody did. "If you're my friend, you're going to do that. For I'd die from missing out on J.T. Hawthorne's lecture."

Chase moaned with downright disgust, but he obeyed soon unto Zoey's command.

Zoey beamed. She stepped up to Wayne Gilbert aka Firewire, the most freaky person on campus. "Quinn has got a new version of her operational system, Quinndoze QP. Don't you want to see it?"

Firewire and his friends Neil and Arthur beamed. "Yeah sure! That's more fun than Galaxy Wars and Superman!"

Zoey smiled. "J.T., I'm coming!"

* * *

Firewire approached Quinn, his former archfoe. He had banned girls from his science club because he knew that Quinn was intellectually superior and would make him look like a dummy. "We've heard you've got a new edition of Quindoze QP? The best ever?"

Quinn shook her head and sighed bitterly. "No more! Dork del Figgalo has poured sauce over it, now it's all gone!"

Firewire shrugged. "OK, then back to Chase!"

Quinn scratched her head. "Wait, guys! Today, Simon Nelson Cook is coming for a visit. He may help me fix the whole mess that Mark has caused, even create something even better than Quinndoze QP!"

Firewire beamed. "If I help you, will it be renamed to Firewire FW?"

Quinn shook her head. "But this release will be subtitled to Wayne …"

Firewire agreed on the deal.

* * *

Finally, Drake, Josh, and Megan arrived on the campus. Drake wanted to see Lola straight away, yet he didn't know where to find her. She had to babysit the infants of Mr. Bender, one of the teachers.

Josh was going to look for Quinn.

Megan wished the boobs a lot of luck finding those girls. She knew where to find Dustin, over in the middle school lounge.

Dustin greeted Megan enthusiastically. Then he introduced her to Nevel. "He's an expert for curses and woes!"

Megan beamed brightly. She knew a few people whom she'd like to curse until the days of dystopia, precisely Drake and Josh.

Nevel had a strange feeling when he saw Megan for the first time. It is as if he had already seen her in a vision. He trusted his dreams when it came down to locating ancient curses. And Megan looked like the medium that he needed for talking to those ancient ghosts. He couldn't help stepping up to Megan and kissing her on the cheek. "This was a kiss on the cheek, yet for another kiss I seek!"" He declared rhythmically.

"Wow!" Megan beamed. Then she kissed him back on the other cheek.

Dustin was astonished.

Nevel grinned. "OK, Megan, you're now an initiate in my Arcane Lodge."

"Cool!" Megan beamed proudly.

"Many are the fools who believe that Judas Ischarioth was a traitor. But he wasn't." Nevel stated emphatically. "His kiss on Gethsemane meant initiation into a higher order of awareness of the eternal mysteries of death and life."

Dustin and Megan smiled. They knew that they were something special.

"What arcane things are we going to prepare for the talent shop?" Dustin wondered.

Megan chuckled. "Just a few weeks ago, I've deviced a trick to help the great Henry Doheny regain his popularity.[[21]] It worked … fine."

Dustin beamed. "Doheny? Wow! He was my great idol. I'm glad that you've made him come back! How did you do that?"

"I've told Doheny to feign his own death, making it look like an accident." Megan snickered. "More precisely. Clueless Drake and Josh had to perforate Doheny in a box with swords during a magical performance. When the box was opened, Doheny appeared dead. Yet at the funeral mess, he appeared alive, again …"

Dustin smiled. "Cool! Too bad we haven't got the time to wait for a funeral, as the talent shop will be decided tonight."

"Very true!" Megan admitted. "Your trick of sawing a virgin isn't bad, we just need to spice it up a bit, with the aid of our invisible slave that lurks at the PCA …!" She unpacked her oboe and blew a few accords.

Nevel and Dustin grinned enigmatically.

* * *

Drake had asked his way around to dorm 101 Butler Hall. He knocked at the door and heard Lola's sweet voice. He stepped cautiously into the dorm. His heart beat like a sledge hammer in a blacksmith's workshop. "Hi!"

"Hi?" Lola wondered. "Hey! You are … Drake Parker, the great rock star!" She beamed brightly while she made some yoga exercises, not really watchuing Mr. Bender's kid which kept on rummaging through Zoey's belongings.

"Yeah! That's me!" Drake smiled. "So you're the great actress Lola Martinez? The kid isn't yours, is it?"

Lola shook her head. "It belongs to a techer of ours. So what are you doing here?"

"I've thought that babysitting is a bit boring, so I've made the way from San Diego to Malibu in order to entertain you a bit …" Drake stammered, filled with excitement.

Lola smiled. "Oh, that's nice from you. You're right, it is boring, and I'm not really up to that resposnsibility, but it pays well, and I need the bucks for cosmetic materials like lip gloss, hair dye, colognes, and stuff like that." She sighed. "You need to upkeep your beauty and appeal if you want to make it into TV, some day, and that's expensive …"

"But your natural beauty is already so stunning …" Drake flattered Lola.

"Oh … thanks!" She smiled.

Drake nodded. He sat down by Lola's side and unpacked his guitar. "I hope the baby isn't chewing something important?"

"Not really …" Lola shrugged. "It is just eating up Quinn's toenails. She collects them … she's quinnsane!"

"Cranky scientists …" Drake thought of all those nerds like Josh, Eric, Craig, Mindy etc. "Do you want to have your own babies?" Drake blushed.

"Some day …" She smiled. "Uhm, was that a proposal?"

Drake didn't yet think about marriage and family, yet … "Would you … mind us marrying … some day" He stammered with embarassment.

Lola scractched her hair. "Depends." She smiled and shrugged. "Yes, if you are a good kisser, otherwise … no!" Actually she had heard a lot about Drake's great kissing quality, those were common knowledge among the Southern Californian teenage girls.

"Do you want to find out?" Drake asked anxiously.

"Sure!" Lola beamed. She closed her eyes and played with her lips.

Drake grabbed her and pulled her into a lingering kiss.

Lola felt a tingling wave from head to toes. Drake's kisses were not just good, they were supertastic, the best one might find across the USA! "Wow! I could get accustomed to that …" She beamed. "Or maybe even addicted …" Truthfully spoken, she was already addicted by now.

Drake was surprised how easy that went. He had had hard times keeping girlfriends that stay with him for a few weeks, and Lola already started making wedding plans or stuff like that … why not? They were both going to gain a lot of publicity when it works out well.

Lola smiled, not caring about what Bender Junior was about doing. He might have drunk all of Quinn's caustic chemicals, Lola and Drake wouldn't have noticed the least bit.

Drake took his guitar and sang a song for Lola.

* * *

Well hello let's go  
Everybody must know  
Love's in my heart  
Like a bomb  
It's blowing a song inside I'm singing  
Sunshine that your bringing now and  
It makes me happy

I can't get enough of your love  
Cause it makes me happy  
Living in a day-dream  
I'll show you what it all means  
Spending some time in the sun  
Let's get up and run  
It's just beginning  
And I just can't stop singing  
Because it makes me happy  
It makes me happy  
It makes me want to sing.[[22]]

* * *

Lola kept on melting away like led in a blast furnace.

* * *

It was a great timing. Quinn had had been waiting in the lounge, studying some plans. She had not wanted to wait in her dorm as the crying infant would have made her excessively nervous, hence unable to concentrate on her work.

Unfortunately, Simon Nelson Cooke and Joshuah Nichols entered that lounge at the same time. Careless as ever, those dorks had failed to notice each other and they crashed again. Ouch!

Quinn chuckled. "Hi boys!" She beamed brightly. "May you help me fix something?"

"Yeah!" Cookie and Josh boome unison. They sat down next to Quinn, sandwiching her.

"OK, this is Quinndoze 2006. My worthless boyfriend, now ex-boyfriend, had poured oyster sauce all over it." She sighed deeply.

Cookie shrugged. "OK, I guess I may help here …"

"Me too!" Josh beamed, seeing a great occasion to prove his supreme skills to a geek girl. Mindy had never fully appreciated his, she had belittled them, humiliating him downright.

"May that new Quinndoze QP emulate my Sontendo Game Prism and my Game Girl?" Josh wondered.

Quinn nodded. "The guys here are addicted to really dumb video games, such as racers and shooters. I hope you are better …"

Josh and Cookie nodded simultaneously.

Then the three geeks fumbled with the computer, forgetting about time.

* * *

"One Mississippi … Two Mississippi …" Stacey Dillsen counted the seconds for the white glue to harden. She had to be very precise here.

Chase was really bored. Stacey spoke with a heavy lisp, and this tore at Chase's nerves like barbed hooks. Hence the word _Mississippi_ hurt him a lot.

White glue and cotton swabs, cotton swabs and white glue ..

Chase was stuffed up from head to toes, but what would he not have done for Zoey, the most demanding of his friends. He was about going insane.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Chase opened it. A girl in his age entered. "You are?"

"Jenifer Mosely, from James K. Polk Highschool in La Mesa, San Diego County." The girl sighed. "But you may call me Moze!" She shook his hand and smiled.

Stacey felt interrupted. "Silence! I need to concentrate on the glue!"

Moze sighed. "I'm a passionate woodshopper, and I need some white glue in order to help my seventh-grade cousin with his woodshop presentation. I've heard that A certain Stacey Dillsen … and there I am."

Stacey beamed. It was the first time someone was about asking her for something. Most pupils went out of her way, avoiding any contact with Mrs. Cotton Swabs. "Oh, yeah, I've bought a few buckets in advance."

Moze smiled. "That's great! What are you using the glue for?"

"I'm building sculptures with cotton swabs!" Stacey boomed. "See, I would really like to work in a woodshop, but dad doesn't let me do that, so I work with cotton swabs, for the time being."

"That's interesting!" Moze chuckled. "You must be very creative …"

Stacey beamed like 1000 suns. "Yeah, it sure is!"

Chase shook his head and started to yawn. "My friend Zoey has condemned me to help Stacey, otherwise …"

"Oh, if it's like that …" Moze smiled. "It will take me a quarter to complete my cousin's work, then I may help Stacey with the cotton swabs. Is that OK?"

"Of course!" Stacey beamed. That was the first time that someone volunteered for such a thing.

Chase sighed with relief. Finally, he saw some light at the end of the tunnel.

* * *

** 2.3. The Performance**

* * *

Dean Rivers opened the talent sho. "And now I'm going to pass the microphone to Mrs. Helen Baxter from San Diego. When I was young and watched sitcoms, little Georgina used to take my breath away. Now, Helen was little Georgina. An applause for Helen Baxter!"

Most pupils could not imagine Dean Rivers as a young guy. But of course he had been, long ago.

Helen Baxter introduced herself. She ran Southern California's biggest motion cinema chain, with headquarter in Belleview in San Diego County. But she also like moderating events like talent shops.

The pupils applauded frenetically.

Dustin was already anxious.

* * *

"And our next number is … Dustin Brooks, and his friends Nevel Papperman and Megan Parker!" Helen announced. "They are going to do something magical, like the great Henry Doheny!" Helen had been present when Henry Doheny had feigned his own death by the hands of clueless Drake and Josh.

Dustin, Megan, and Nevel entered the stage.

Nevel was wearing a girl's wig which Dustin had wanted Scooter to wear, but it looked equally nice on Nevel.

"Ladies and gents …" Dustin looked around. "I'm now going to saw two virtuous virgins into half: Megan Parker and Nevelina Papperman …"

Nevel grinned. "OK, the wig is a fake …" He removed it. "And woe to you if you laugh about that! You are going to rue the day, until dystopia!" He thundered aloud into the masses.

The audience gasped in astonishment.

Megan played a little tune with her oboe.

"Megan's music makes the saw vibrate, now it may easily cut through stone and steel!" nevel exclaimed.

Then Dustin locked Nevel and Megan into one black box each. The heads and feet protruded from the ends of the boxes. He swang his saw around and started cutting the boxes into half.

"Eeeew, that tickles!" Megan plastered a feint grin.

Nevel remained apathetic. "I use to cuddle porcupines, that's nothing special at all!"

The audience gasped.

Finally, the two boxes were divided into half. Dustin grinned. "And now I'll screw Megan's head half to Nevel's bottom half, and vice versa!" He did exactly what he had announced.

Suddenly, just when Dustin had finished recombining the parts of the boxes, a dense green fog covered the stage.

Many pupils felt immediately reminded to the night when some unnatural green mist had held the campus in fright and terror.

As fast as the mist had appeared, it dissipated again.

Dustin smiled. "OK, now let's open the boxes!"

When the covers of the boxes got lifted, Megan and Nevel left their boxes, but with their legs exchanged.

"Ooops! That doesn't seem quite right as it is!" Dustin declared, blushing mildly. Then he made them walk back into their boxes. "That will take a while, or …"

Alas, the same mysterious green mist reappeared. When it had dissipated, Megan and Nevel stood there, right in their original constitution.

"Thanks, ladies and gents!" Dustin boomed.

Nevel, Megan, and Dustin bowed to the enthusiastic audience.

* * *

Zoey returned from her audition of J.T. Hawthorn in the bookshop café right before the end of the talent shop. She was lucky, as she wanted to be there in order to congratulate or comfort Dustin right on site, depending on the outcome of the talent shop. She sat down in the second row. "Hey! Aren't you a relative of Drake Parker?"

Josh nodded. "I'm his step-brother, Joshuah Nichols."

"So … how was Dustin's and Megan's performance?"

"Great!" Josh admitted, "Alas, I've tried to be like Doheny for years, and notyhing came out of it. And Megan and Dustin and their scary friend beat everything I've ever tried …" He sobbed.

"Megan's got it from you, by careful watching …" Zoey smiled, trying to cheer Josh up.

Josh sighed. "So … how was the lecture? I would have liked to come to Hawthorne, as well … alas, I haven't known in time, and Drake hates books …"

"Her books are better than her talks …" Zoey shrugged. "And I couldn't catch an autograoh because I wanted to be back for Dustin."

Josh nodded solemnly. "I've agreed with Drake that he should come here and cheer for Megan." He sighed cluelessly. "But now I haven't seen Drake in three hours …"

Zoey shrugged. "Sorry. Drake is a great rock star, but probably not the best big brother for Megan." She sighed. "I have also got quite a few remorses. Besides not being here in order to root for Dustin, I've also got my best friend, Chase Matthews to do some dirt job, just in order to allow me to make it to J.T. Hawthorne's presentation, and now …" Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice. She turned around. "Chase! What the …" He had obviously broken his promise, as they were impossibly already done with the xotton swab model, and now Stacey and Michael were going to be very mad at Zoey.

Chase chuckled. "Some Jenifer Mosely stumbled in and took over for me." He smiled luckily.

"Oh, lucky Chase …" she stammered.

"Attention! Attention!" Helen used a megaphone in order to announce tye outcome. "And the winner of this year's talent shop is …" The suspense increased. "Dustin Brooks and his friends Megan Parker and Nevel papperman!"

The hall almost burst from the applause.

Zoey jumped up and bounced around. "Yeah, Dustin! I knew that you could make it!" She stepped up to her little brother and huggled him dizzy.

At the same time, Kazu stepped up to helen baxter. "Sorry, ma'am, you have just been brilliant as a reporter." Kazu breathed deeply. "I'm a sponsor of the Open Mic Night , next week. And I want a cool moderator, not a lame one. Would you please …"

"Sure!" Helen smiled. "But why do you speak with a Chinese accent inspite of running a Japanese restaurant?"

"Er …" Kazu scratched his head.

Helen shrugged and walked away.

"I'm taking megan to bed now …" Zoey told Josh.

"That's nice from you …" Josh smiled and walked away. He had booked a one-night place in one of the boys' dorms.

* * *

** 2.4. After The Show**

* * *

Megan had followed Zoey to dorm 101.

Zoey unlocked the door. "OK, Lola, I'm back…" She found Drake and Lola making out in a bean bag. Hence she was consternated. Also, the whole dorm appeared messed up. "Drake! Lola!"

Megan almost threw up. "That's disgusting!"

"Hi!" Lola smiled when she noticed Zoey and Megan.

Drake shrugged cluelessly.

"You know that it's way past curfew for boys in the girls' dorm?" Zoey asked sternly.

Both Drake and Lola had other things on their mind than the clock.

Megan and Zoey urged Drake to leave the dorm.

"When did you give the infant back to Mr. Bender?" Zoey asked Lola.

"What?" Lola had obviously forgotten about the baby. "Oh my God!" She screamed and looked around helpleslly. She noticed all the mess that the kid had caused, but the toddler himself was all but gone. "Where is he?" She went blue in her face.

Zoey and Megan looked everywhere in their dorm.

Zoey found her own belongings all disarranged. "What a mess! Lola!" She thundered angrily. "My design samples for the next fashion mess are …"

Quinn entered her dorm. She whistled and smiled. "Yeah! Josh and Cookie are geniusses! We've repaired the whole thing in just three hours. Quinndoze QP 2007 is now thrice as cool as …" Then she started recognising the horrible state in which the dorm was. "Whoah, what's that?" She was all consternated. "My toenails! Whoever that was, he'll pay so dearly for it … Lola? Lola?" She thundered like a machine gun.

"Quinn has got a sixth toe on her right foot." Zoey explained unto Megan. "Hence she's very proud of those toenails."

"Oh cool …" Megan whispered when she opened a closet. "And there's the culprit!" She found a todler rummaging all through the closet.

Zoey sighed with relief. "OK, I'm calling Mr. Bender and try to find an excuse." She looked sternly at Lola. "But once more, and I'll be done with you, for good! Do you get it?"

"Er … yeah?" Lola stammered with dismay.

Zoey took her cellular phone and pushed the buttons.

"You better checjk your chemicals and stuff," Megan asked Quinn. "We don't hope that the infant hasd swallowed some of that disgusting looking liquids …"

"You call my scientific objects disgusting?" Quinn was a bit upset. But then she counterchecked. "OK, nothing has happened to my tinctures and my bacteria. "

"Good evening, Mr. Bender, this is Zoey Brooks … yeah, Lola has guarded him well. Sorry that we're late, but the kid fell asleep, and we've thought it better not to wake it up … no, no, there's no need for you to come and fetch him, I'll take him to you, in ten minutes max. … Have a nice one! " Zoey ended the call and sighed with relief.

Megan spread her sleeping bag and an air mat. "Good night …"

Zoey waved good night at Dustin's new girlfriend. "That has been an odd evening, though … I guess I should not leave the dorm to my roomies ever again for a whole evening."

* * *

Josh sank onto his provisory bed. He sighed. It had been a great evening. He had helped Quinn repairing Quinndoze QP, and he had watched Megan winning the talent shop. But he worried a bit about Drake, yet he had been accustomed to it. Little was it beknownst to him what adventures he was going to encounter soon enough at this school.

The door went open, and Drake stumbled in.

"Where have you been?" Josh reminded Drake that he had promised to come to the show and root for Megan.

"Aw, the show!" Drake had totally forgotten about that. Now he had to fear that megan's wrath was going to be infinite. "Help me, Josh! Megan is going to kill me."

"And so?" Josh replied. "This is now your problem … I've been at the show, and where have you been? Probably making out with various girls, as I know you. But this time, I won't cover you. Hah!"

"Only one girl … Lola Martinez" Drake stammered.

Josh scratched his chin. "Not my problem, so let me sleep! If you care … Megan has won the thing, so maybe you're safe …"

* * *

Stacey and Moze were finally done building the pyramids using white glue and cotton swabs.

Moze yawned. "So I'm going to sleep in your dorm?"

Stacey nodded. "I've got a dorm on my own because nobody wants to share one with me."

"That's mean!" Moze sighed. She pities Stacey. "Maybe you can visit me in La Mesa for one weekend or the other. I've got a small woodshop at home. Our teacher Dusty Chopsaw is very keen on my works …"

Stacey beamed. "Cool!" She sighed. "But before that, I need to become the girlfriend of Logan Reeeeeeese." Stacey swooned. "Have you seen his arms? His arrrrrms!"

For Moze, Logan was just a jerk, and probably one who was going to treat Stacey like dirt, just as most others did. "If you say so … OK, let's go to sleep …"

* * *

Dustin and nevel smiled when they sank into their beds. "I think we should do the trick with the green mist more often …" Dustin suggested.

"A couple of times …" Nevel warned, though: "Don't overuse it! Ghosts are not endlessly patient, especially those connected to ancient curses!"

"So where does Charles Galloway really come from?" Dustin asked cautiously.

"I don't know yet …" Nevel shrugged. "But we soon will get closer. Megan will come back for the Open Mic Night, right?"

Dustin nodded and swooned along with Nevel. They both were totally taken by that girl, but there was no jealousy as Dustin and Nevel were bound to stick together like brimstone and lava.

* * *

** Chapter 3. Open MIC Night**

* * *

** 3.1. Before The Event**

* * *

Megan had of course accompanied Drake and Josh to the OMN at the PCA.

"Are you really coming to cheer for Drake, or are you just going to see the brooks guy again?" Josh asked Megan.

Megan sighed. "I'm always cheering for Drake at public concerts, as opposed to vice versa …" Megan boomed. "But you're right, Dustin makes me swoon, although he's a year younger …"

"That's OK, " Josh sighed. "As long as you don't do stupid stuff like making babies …"

Megan stared oddly. "We don't even think of that! Stupid stuff I leave up to you boobs!"

Drake had got a bad conscience. While Megan always stuck up for him at public concerts, he had downright forgotten about her when she was at the talent shop. Yet, what should he have done … Lola had made his heart and mind melt away like icecream in the desert at high noon.

Megan had not yet mentioned that she was going to participate in the Open MIc Night with a number on her hown, accompanied by Nevel and Dustin. But she wasn't trying to compete with Drake or most other participants. It was part of her mission she was about undertaking along with her boyfriends.

* * *

This time, Cookie was here before Josh. Thus he was going to spend some time with Quinn before the concert. He had come to the event in order to accompany and root for his friend Ned Bigby, a guy who still wanted to become a great rock star and hence had registered for the Open Mic Night.

"So … is it true that you're a cyborg?" Quinn asked Cookie.

"I wish I was …" Cookie admitted. "Yet … no, I'm just a human that uses a lot of technology and draggs it around." He showed Quinn a few more of his gadgets.

Quinn was overtly interested in all the strange widgets. "Some of them could be downright my inventions!" Quinn admitted.

"Great minds think alike!" Cookie remarked. "Talking about great minds … there comes Josh Nichols!"

"Hi Josh!" Quinn greeted her friend. "Thanks again for your help with Quinndoze QP."

"No problem!" Josh twitched. "Fortunately, we' have still got some time to discuss a few chemical formulae, before Drake enters the stage. How about that gelatineous blue mass that you've used when some ghost attacked the campus …"

"There are no ghosts …" Cookie tried to believe.

Quinn nodded. "There must be a scientific explanation."

"And we're going to find it!" Josh boomed enthusiastically.

* * *

"Zoey!" Geena Fabiano yelled across the campus yard.

Zoey pondered a moment. "Geena, right?" She smiled. She remembered vaguely the girl that had been interested in her fashion creations.

Geena nodded. "I've made a few patterns and would like to know what you think about them …"

"OK …" Zoey chuckled. "So, you really want to join this school?"

"Quite sure!" Geena beamed. "I just have to convince my parents, that can be tough …"

Zoey nodded. "My little broither Dustin had been at this school before me. Back then, it had been boys-only. When it opened for girls, I was determined to come hereto."

Geena shrugged. "Cool! Too bad I haven't got a little brother."

"Sometimes you would wish that you hadn't …" Zoey predicted. "Trust me here. I love Dustin above all, but he may be very enervating."

"If you say so …" Geena shrugged helplessly. "Oh, tonight, I'm here in order to cheer for my friend Addie Singer at the Open Mic Night. She has registered in last minute, that was so close …"

"Several of my friends are participating …" Zoey sighed. "including Dustin. Alas, that is not nearly all."

"Tell me!" Geena begged.

Zoey nodded. "One of my oldest friends, Michael Barret, has got an insane crush on Lisa Perkins, a pop singer."

"That Lisa Perkins?" Geena beamed. "I've seen her at Californian Idol, she's cool!"

Zoey nodded. "We're together in the yoga club. I've talked Lisa into sitting in the front row, and Michael is going to sing something in order to impress Lisa. His voice his terrible, but maybe he mey compoensate this with his feelings."

"Maybe …" Geena shrugged.

* * *

** 3.2. The Event**

* * *

After Dean Rivers, Helen held the opening speech. She thanked the sponsors, especially Kazu - she still wondered about his Chinese accident. Then she announced the first number. "In virtue of the curfews, our first number is by the youngest participants. Applause for …" She looked around … "Dustin Brooks and his friends …"

Dustin jumped on the stage. "OK, fans, I've rewritten the country evergreen _Ghostriders_ by Johnny Cash for Megan's oboe and Nevel's piano."

Megan and Nevel grinned enthusiastically.

"My little brother Dustin!" Zoey told Geena proudly.

"Juana Evangelista Martinez will sing the whole thing. Juju!"

Lola's younger sister stepped onto the stage, as well.

Geena shrugged.

Dustin told Nevel to start playing.

* * *

A bolt of fear shot through him as  
He looked up in the sky,  
For he saw the riders comin' hard  
And he heard their mournful cry:

Yippee-yi-ya, yippee-yi-yo,  
Ghost riders in the sky.

* * *

While Juana was singing, a green mass started swirling above the heads of the audience. Many of them starting trembling.

* * *

…  
If you want to save your soul from hell  
A-riding on our range,  
Then, cowboy, change your ways today,  
Or with us you will ride,  
A-trying to catch the devil's herd  
Across these endless skies.

* * *

The green mass intensified.

Nevel looked at the audience. "Turn around, or you will rue it!" He looked particularly sternly at Logan Reese, whom he knew as the guy who had stolen a locket from the tomb of Chase Galloway. "You rue it, Logan! You rue it! Just bringing his locket back doesn't undo the curse of old!" His words were not loud enough to penetrate the sighs of panic that kept spreading among the audience, yet his eyegaze and his postures were clear.

* * *

…  
Yippee-yi-ya, yippee-yi-yo,  
Ghost riders in the sky.

* * *

When Juana had finished the song, the swirling green mass dissipated again.

The audience calmed down quickly. Everything appeared under control. Or should they have taken the warning expressed in the lyrics as serious? At least a few members of the audience had been left with a fleecy feeling in their stomach.

Even Juana Evangelista was a bit intimidated, inspite of having been informed in advance. She went to her elder sister. "Take me to bed, please!" She sobbed.

Lola sighed. She had trembled through her sister's performance, even more than the day when Charles Galloway had haunted the campus. She granted Juana's wish. There was still some time left until Drake's performance which, of course, she wanted to miss under no circumstances in this life and any other.

Helen thanked Dustin. "That was … impressive …" She tried to hide that she had been trembling and quaking through and through when the scary swirling masses showed up.

Dustin, Nevel, and Megan bowed to the audience before they disappeared behind the stage.

* * *

"Our next number is Michael Barret! He has won last year with a comic number, but this year, he's going to sing something serious for a special lady …" Helen announced solemnly.

Michael entered the stage. "Hi fans! I'm going to sing a new song. Some of you know it already, some won't, it depends , well …" He tried to sing, but Lisa's presence made him even more nervous than he had already been. Suddenly, he started vomiting all over Lisa's shoe.

Lisa Perkins was upset. She slapped Michael and walked to the toilets.

Michael stormed out of the hall with panic.

"Lisa deserves better, anyways …" Dustin remarked, making Megan nod.

Zoey was very disappointed. Maybe it had not been much of a great idea to make Lisa sit in the front row? "I'm going to look after Michael. Maybe he's hiding in his wardrobe."

"Don't you have those curfews? No girls in the boys' dorms after 8 p.m.?" Geena wondered.

C"Damn!" Zoey shook her head. "You're so right, I can't … Chase!" She called her best friend.

"Zoey … what's up? Michael was suddenly gone … " Chase stammered.

Zoey nodded. "Yeah, and you're going to look after him!"

"But … my own performance will be in just …" Chase quivered.

"If you're my friend, you're now going to look after Michael!" Zoey commanded.

Chase shrugged and obeyed. Why did he never have the force to contradict Zoey. But OK, Michael was also one of his greatest friends, so it was just fair to look after him.

Zoey stepped up to Helen. "Please, Chase Matthews has an emergency case. Could he please perform more towards the end of the night?"

Hele looked at her list and nodded. "OK, there's one unused time slice towards the end. That will do it."

"Thanks!" Zoey sighed with relief and walked away.

Helen shrugged helplessly. "Attention, our next number is Drake Parker, a semi-professional from San Diego. Applause!"

The audience cheered already in advance. They knew that Drake was one of the greatest.

Lola was back in time.

"This song is dedicated to a very special girl." Drake announced. "It is named _Hollywood Girl_[[23]]"

Lola jumped on the stage and threw her arms around Drake.

"Aw baby, let's wait until after the song?" Drake suggested.

"Oh, sorry!" Lola went back to her seat.

Cheered by Josh and Megan, Drake started to sing. It was a very sad song, and Drake sure didn't wish Lola to get lost in the Hollywood world, but through this song, he showed that he was always going to be there for her.

Then Lola jumped into Drake's arms and awarded him with a lingering French kiss that lasted until Helen had to send them off the stage because the next number was due.

* * *

Chase Matthews returned from his and Michael's dorm. "OK, Michael's still very sad, but he has calmed down and is going to sleep. Tomorrow it will be much better …"

Zoey smiled. She had already taken Megan to bed and was now back."OK, I've asked Helen to look for another time slice for you. It should be soon."

Chase cheered. He had almost supposed Zoey to do something like that.

"And our next number is Chase Matthews!" Helen announced.

Kazu intervened. "Sorry, but according to my plan, the slice is reserved for some Addie Singer." Kazu objected.

It had been a last-minute registration, and for that reason, there hadn't been any time left to synchronise the plans.

Two rows behind Zoey, a sarcastically cheerful voice was heard. "Burn!" Three high-fiving girls thundered simultaneously.

Zoey Brooks had never seen those girls at the school.

Alas, Geena knew them. "Those are Maris Bingham, Cranberry Sinclair, and Patti Perez. They are the three most arrogant spoilt bitches of my school!"

Zoey looked at them. "They disgust me!"

Geena nodded. "You're right. Better ignore them and let's concentrate what our good friends are doing …" She sighed. "Unfortunately Cranberry has registered for this event as well. I guess she's going to sing after our friends …"

Zoey sighed and nodded. "I hope they won't kill each other as their time slices collide."

Chase and Addie entered the stage at the same time.

"That's my very good friend Chase Matthews …" Zoey told Geena.

"And that's my best friend forever, Addie Singer!" Geena explained.

"Oh oh …" Zoey sighed when she noticed that there was obviously some collision.

Geena felt a bit dazed, as well.

Chase took his guitar. "Oh, I see that you've goy a guitar on your own …" He asked Addie playfully.

"Er … yeah …" She smiled.

"Oh Addie … wasn't it your guitar that Drake has used in order to cheer for Zoey at the wrestling event?" Chase remembered.

Addie nodded. "Yeah. Of course I may play it myself, I just suck at composition, tthus the tune …"

"Don't feel bad …" Chase sighed. "I totally flunk tunes. Usually, Michael, my best friend, makes the tunes for me, but today …"

Addie chuckled. "OK, it seems we have to share a time slice." She smiled.

"Oh tyeah …" Chase stammered clumsily. "Maybe we should try and make the best of it …"

"OK …" Addie agreed timidly. Then she started singing: [[24]]

* * *

Day after day Life's Unfabulous.  
Everyone around me's unbearable.  
I wanna be the one unforgettable.  
It's better unfabulous.

* * *

The audience had no idea where this was going to. But they applauded carefully, nothing withstanding.

Chase smiled, clamped his guitar, and sang his number. [[25]]

* * *

You're just another kind of girl.  
And I want to be your squirrel.  
Come on, let's ride away.

* * *

Obviously, for two colliders, Addie and Chase got along nicely.

Fits of jealously emerged inside Zoey's mind. Alas, she wasn't one to judge, given that she had made out with Danny [[26]] and a few other guys.

Addie and Chase continued their unplanned joint presentation, and it worked out quite smoothly for that.

"Sorry that I wasn't perfect …" Chase sighed.

"That's OK …" Addie admitted. "I haven't been perfect, either. But then again, I wouldn';t be myself if …" she stammered timidly.

"Maybe we can work togethert some other timne?" Chase asked in a shy manner. "Only if it doesn't bother you to much …"

"Er … sure …" Addie coughed. "Why not?"

Many mambers of the audience noticed the spontaneous respect and affection between the two victims of a scheduling error.

Helen thanked the teenies again before she went on to the next numbers.

* * *

After a disappointing presentation by Ned Bigby, a wannabe rock star who had not yet the hang out of the scale, let alone some basic accords, Helen came to the last number.

"Ladies and gents, last but not least, I'm proud to announce Ms. Stacey Dillson."

The audience moaned with agony, consternating clueless Helen.

"Hello, I'm Stacey Dillsen. I come from Massachusetts, but I also like Mississippi." She lisped along. "My mom said that I've got a wonderful voice, thus I've given that song a try …"

The masses booed fanatically.

Stacey started singing, her lisp voice making it a bit confusing. [[27]]

* * *

Sip it in the morning  
Sip it in the evening  
Even at a quarter to three.  
I like sassafras, you like sassafras, we like sassafras tea.

* * *

Stacey waited for the applause, but she harvested nothing but resounding boos. She sobbed and limped away. First, she had strained a muscle in her backside during yoga classes, and now that. If Mose hadn't tried to cheer her up …

Moze caught her. "Sorry, Stacey! They are so mean."

Stacey whimpered painfully. "I always get all the nbad luck …"

* * *

Helem's ears had recovered from Stacey's performance. Now she had to end the event. "OK, ladies and gents … I think we've got a winner. There were many good presentations, but only one of them was professional: Drake Parker!"

A wave of applause thundered across the hall, making Stacey even more sad. Fortunately, Moze stood right by her side.

"Anyways, the atmosphere at this school is fantastic!" Helen thanked the audience, and she had to announce something. "I've decided to run the campus cinema, and make it headquarter of my cinema chain!"

The audience cheered for Helen.

Josh cheered for Drake. "And you haven't been eaten by a ghost!" Josh chuckled.

Alas, maybe it was better not to talk about ghosts like this.

* * *

** 3.3. After The Event**

* * *

Logan strolled into the cafeteria. There he saw three girls sitting at a table. One of them he recognised immediately as Cranberry who had sung at the Open MIC Night. She had made a great impression unto him. Not her voice, though - Logan Reese had a very poor understanding of good music - but the jewellery she had been wearing. It had proved unto Logan that Cranberry showed a lot of style, and that she had the bucks to afford it. Her two friends made a similar impression. "Hi dolls!" Logan said to the girls. "Do you have a free seat here?"

"If you aren't a proletarian, sure …" Maris replied arrogantly. "I've heard there are a lot of wealthy kids at this school, such as the son of some Hollywood producer, a certain …" Up to now she had not seen who had been talking to them, but now she was realising that it had been no other but … "Logan Reeeeeeeese!" She smiled and screamed with ecstasy.

Patti Perez and Cranberry joined into the cheerful choir. They pulled a chair away for Logan to sit on.

Logan sat down by the girls' table. "The one and only! May I invite you to something?"

The girls nodded vigorously. "Whatever!"

"A real producer's son …" Patti smiled triumphantly. "And Addie only met that bushy head …"

Maris Bingham and Cranberry Sinclair smiled. They highfived with patti Perez, yelling "Burn!"

Logan grinned. "I know that bushy head too well. His name is Chase Matthews."

"Oh, how is he?" Maris wanted to know, hoping that he was as deprecable as he had appeared at first glance unto the three glamour girls.

"He has been my room mate for over four years by now." Logan explained. "And he's a loser."

"A loser?" Patti asked.

Logan nodded. "Being together with Chase for four years has made me learn everything about him. And thus I know he's a loser. I could tell you stories, especially about him and that blonde named Zoey Brooks … he has had a crush on her esince girls are allowed to the school, and he has never been able, and will never be able, to express it appropriately."

Maris smiled. "Cool! What a dork!"

Logan smiled triumphantly. "I've a running bet with Chase. He beat me at a car racing video game, but I'm going to beat him into oblivion in a real cart race. Then he'll be humiliated over and over! " Logan grinned sadistically. "Do you want to make a flash tour with my cart? The finest I could buy, as opposed to Chase's rusty lawn mower …"

The girls agreed cheerfully.

* * *

"How's Michael doing?" Zoey asked Chase as soon as he arrived for breakfast.

Chase sighed. "Better than last night, but he's still too sad for breakfast."

Zach,Addie, and Geena pitied Michael.

"So, Chase …" Addie wondered … "As you like to write lyrics, are you going to be a poet?"

Chase shrugged. "If I knew … I'm certainly inclined towards that, but maybe more towards a playwright."

Addiue nodded. "OK, I can't decide either … I just like poetry … and music, but composition isn't my thing, so …"

"Have you got a favourite poet?" Chase asked Addie.

"Edgar Allan Poe …" Addie nodded vigorously.

"Not bad …" Chase admitted. "Though there are others I like as well, such as Milton, Lord Byron, …"

Zoey wondered how long Chase and Addie could talk about it without getting tired.

Zach sighed. "Until a few days ago, I've thought that kids at a prep school like this were all spoilt brats." he admitted. "But most of them seem to have feelings like everyone."

Chase nodded. "Yeah, it isn't that terrible. I had to get accustomed to it, as well, and Logan, my long-time room mate, didn't make it easy. But I have learnt to get along with guys like him, as awakward as it has been from time to time."

"Isn't that Logan Reese?" Zach muttered with disgust when he looked a few tables away.

Zoey nodded solemnly.

"By the way, I've defeated Logan in a video car race, now he wants revenge … with a real cart race." Chase explained. "I've already accepted. "

Zoey choked hard. "You've what?"

"Hey! Don't worry!" Chase tried to calm Zoey down. "I'm not going to lose this time. Logan may buy himself an expensive cart, but I'll simply ask Quinn to upgrade my lawn mower … And then Logan will get humiliated."

Seeing how much fun Logan appeared to have with Maris, Cranberry, and Patti, Addie slammed her fist against the table, thundering "Beat him, Chase! Humiliate him!"

Zoey shook her head. "It isn't about winning or losing!" She sighed deeply. "Races are dangerous and illegal on the campus."

Chase sighed. He felt deeply misunderstood by Zoey. If he withdrew from the race, Logan was going to win by default, and, according to the bet, Chase was going to be forced to cross the campus dressed with a girl's gown. He walked over to Quinn's table. "Hi Quinn … could you do me a favour?"

"Depends!" Quinn shrugged.

Chase explained his running bet unto the geeks.

"Sure!" Quinn cheered enthusiastically.

"I'm going to assist!" Cookie promised.

"I've repaired a beach cart [[28]] once upon a time, but … let me tell you, it's so dangerous. Drake almost broke his neck riding the buggy. "

Quinn sighed. "Sorry, Chase, as much as I'd like to sock it to Logan … this car race thing is too dangerous. Please try to defeat him in another way!"

Chase was bitterly disappointed. He already saw himself running around in a girl's dress, becoming the laughingstock of the whole school.

Zoey calmed down. Addie ceratinly wasn't at all like Rebecca. She didn't try to seduce Chase, nor did Chase have to be persuaded into showing respect and affection towards her, as had been the case with Rebecca whom Chase had dated almost exclusively for parental arrangement. [[29]]

Zachariah Carter Schwartz looked at his watch and sighed bitterly. "OK, we've got to return to Rocky Road now. See you soon again!" He was now voluntarily considering enrolling at PCA, as it was a really great school and not only infested with snobby brats like Logan Reese.

"See you!" Zoey waved especially at Geena. And she wasn't opposed to Addie and Chase practising more songs together, as they had appeared to be a great combination on the stage, given that it had been a mere accident. But was there anything accidental at the PCA? Or was there some mysterious plot at work? Zoey kept refusing for the moment to think about it any further. Alas, some future events might have been going to force Zoey into reconsideration …

Chase swooned slightly because Addie was approximately sharing his humble gifts. Yet he didn't want anyone to notice that. He waved sadly when the teenies from Rocky Road left the campus for the time being. But he knew that they were about coming back …

* * *

Juju sat down by Michael's site. "You play the flute very well …"

"Do you think so?" Michael sobbed.

Juana nodded. "I've heard you several times already. If you want, I may sing something to it."

"Wow!" Michael had been feeling ashamed because of his skills as a flautist in a time of unrestrained hardcoe rock music. Never ever had anyone wanted to sing along. He started to play _Felice Rio_ by Pietro Antonio Metastasio.

* * *

Vanne felice rio!  
Vanne superbo al mar!  
Ah potessi cangiarti sorte …  
Ora, or tu bagnerai  
Nei vezzicosi rai[[30]]

* * *

Juana Evangelista Martinez sang like an angel, soothing Michael's hurt soul.

Michael relaxed. Maybe Lisa wasn't really worth all the troubles, there were so much nicer girls at the PCA …

* * *

Dustin, Nevel, and Megan had heard about the insane bet.

"Verily, I tell you …" Nevel thundered. "many haven't learnt the lessons of the ghost by now. They will rue it until the days of dystopia!"

Dustin sighed. "We must prevent Logan from humiliating Chase!"

Megan nodded. "Hey … aren't races illegal? Just tell Dean Rivers, and …"

Dustin shrugged. "Chase might get detention for that …"

Megan sighed. "Too true … still better than becoming the laughingstock …"

Nevel had an idea. "Our invisible friend may enshroud Chase while he is crossing the campus. Thus he won't be seen in the gown …"

Dustin and Megan looked at Nevel. "Yeah! That's fantastic!" They beamed cheerfully.

"How's Juju doing?" Dustin asked Megan.

"She's over the whole shock …" Megan explained. She had seen Juana Martinez before breakfast. "Now she wants to comfort Michael, whatever that means, as he had been hit even harder by his weak stomach …"

Dustin and Megan wondered what had, so far, been Nevel Papperman's theory about the curse at the PCA.

"If I really knew that …" Nevel sighed. "But only two peoples have developed magics powerful enough to impose and lift ancient curses: We Jews have got the Qabala, and the Polynesians have got Kahuna."

Dustin and Megan listened with great interest. "Kahuna, Qabala … that sounds interesting … but when did Jews or Polynesians touch California? In ancient times?"

Nevel shrugged. "The Polynesians were great navigators, they have even made it to Madagascar. The Jews weren't a nautic people, but the Phoenician neighbours might have been, and they've learnt a lot from the Jews."

Megan and Dustin were astonished.

"Alas, an ancient local impact isn't really necessary … " Nevel continued explaining. "Curses may be transported and transplanted at any time."

"So, basically, we must find out about the history of this place since ancient times until recently?" Megan tried to sum it up.

Nevel nodded solemnly.

Dustin shrugged. "I've gone through the annuals of the PCA, way beyond the time that Charles Galloway had been enrolled. Only 100 years, though … I might have found hints. The Bradford family who had founded the PCA …"

Nevel scratched his head. "The Bradfords … maybe it is a family curse that got attached to this place since they have founded the school … I'm not sure, but we have to consider it."

Drake and Josh were ready to go home to San Diego. They fetched Megan who waved goodbye to her boyfriends. "See you soon again!" Of course Drake and Josh were equally interested in coming back to this school asap: Quinn and Lola were two powerful reasons for that … And there was soon going to be another great occasion.

Nevel and Dustin stood in front of a lot of research that was left to do before they were going to be able to lift the dread curse form the school and put the ghost of Charles Galloway to eternal rest.

Logan was going to explode in anger the day when Chase, who had withdrawn from the bet and hence lost it automatically, crossed the school park, dressed in a gown that nobody was going to be able to see because of some swirly green mist entouring Chase completely.

* * *

** Chapter 4. Burned Offerings**

* * *

** 4.1. Before The Party**

* * *

Megan checked her mail. She started beaming. There was another message from Dustin. "Hey boobs! Are you up for another trip to Peperdyne?"

And of course they were.

"So, here's the deal: Zoey's grand uncle Morris has just bit the dust, and he left Zoey a van load of pork chops." Megan explained.

Josh's mouth turned watery.

"Well, and Zoey decided to make a barbecue contest." Megan grinned.

Drake and Josh needed to be in it. They remembered painfully when they lost to Megan in a salsa contest [[31]], falling for one of her pranks.

"Don't worry! If you want to build a team without me, do it!" Megan shrugged.

"You will be in a team with Nevel and Dustin?" Drake supposed.

"Nevel doesn't eat pork!" Megan declared. "But we are going to make some dips."

Drake and Josh highfived. They were going to deliver the best barbecue pork chops ever!

Josh also wondered what experiment Quinn was up to. He hoped that he was going to help her promote the wonders of modern science even more.

* * *

Samantha Puckett, a middle school girl from Seattle, beamed. "Hey! I've received a mail from my sister Melanie!" She thundered across the loft of her adult friend Spencer Shay and his tweenie sister Carly, a girl that looked much like Megan.

"OK …" Carly shrugged.

"They are going to give a barbecue festival at her boarding school in California!" Sam's eyes bugged out. She was downright obsessed with pork chops.

"So what, she-beast?" Fredward benson grumbled. He was Carly's neighbourhood boy.

"We have to go there!" Sam beamed. She grabbed Carly's shirt, begging her like a puppy. "Do you know who will be the referee at the barbecue contest?"

Carly shrugged. "You tell me?"

Sam nodded. "Sure! It's Pierre Le Mange!"

Freddie shrugged. "Who cares?" Sam and Freddie were constantly bickering with each other, just for the sake of it.

Sam grinned. "Shup up, Fredweird!" Then she calmed down. "Pierre Le Mange is from my favourite channel …"

"The cooking channel …" Carly concluded. She knew Sam too well.

"I'd rather eat my old shoes than whatever Sam is going to cook for us!" Freddie concluded, earning himself a stern gaze from Carly who was the one who had to mediate between Sam and Freddie all the time.

"So … you want to go to California?" Spencer concluded.

Sam nodded vigorously.

"Yes, we do!" carly gave in. "There are somne hot boys at Californian boarding schools, I've heard!" Carly swooned. "All those Hollywood teenie stars …"

"There's no way I would …" Freddie just had to contradict Sam. But then he thought about Carly's words. There were sure also quite a few female teenage stars of his taste, such as Lola Martinez … "OK, I'm in for it!"

Sam was dismayed because Freddie was going to join in, but she had no other choice. It was Spencer's car, and he was not going to lock out Freddie. There was a slight hope left that Freddie's overprotective mother was going to object because barbecues are so dangerous, but Carly was gifted in dissuading Mrs. Benson from denying her consent.

"I've heard that there are ghosts at some Californian boarding schools … spooky and scary!" Spencer squealed. "Back at college, we hid through four nights straight in order to catch some ghost who turned out as a homeless cat …"

"The only thing scary is Dorkward's face!" Sam interjected rudely.

"I've once been runner up in a barbecue contest at college …" Spencer remarked. "I've still got the grill …"

Carly beamed. "OK, let's win the festival!"

"But the grill is now a sculpture. I call it _Hot and fat!_…" Spencer sighed.

* * *

As a vigorous vegetarian and environmentalist, Zachariah Carter Schwartz was not keen on the barbecue festival.

"Then make tofu chops!" Geena squealed.

Addie shrugged. "OK, then it's only me and Geena …" She was eager to see Chase Matthews again. She liked his bushy hair. "Do you think that I should make my hair bushy?"

Geena shrugged. "You've already made the strangest things with your hair, as if that mattered anymore …"

* * *

In the locker hall of James K. Polk Highschool, Cookie, Moze, and Ned wondered about the invitation to the barbecue feast.

"I'veheard that Quinn is about inventing the eternal liquid candle!" Cookie beamed. "I need to assist her!"

Moze nodded. "OK, then I'm going to assist Stacey with her astronomical calculations and her team _Ribs And Swabs_." She sighed. "Everyone at her school hates and ignores her because she's talking with a lisp. That's so mean!"

Ned shrugged. "OK, I guess then I just have to be in …"

"Don't think that you've got a chance to win!" Missy Meany, a spoilt lass, bellowed. "That's because I'm going to win the contest!"

Moze, Cookie, and Ned were upset. What a she-beast!

* * *

** 4.2. The Barbecue Feast**

* * *

Logan Reese strolled the campus. He had been so upset by his roomie Michael Barret, they could not stay in the same team. The dispute was about Logan's rib rub versus Michael's barbecue sauce. Hence he had forced Chase Matthews to build a team with him, leaving Michael in a team with Zoey.

"Hi Logan!" Patti Perez, Maris Bingham, and Cranberry boomed unison when the spoilt brat crossed their way..

Logan beamed. "Hi girls!" He sighed. "Too bad that I';ve already been forced into a team with loser Chase Matthews. I hate that, but it has been decided this way. And I need him to do the dirt work for me. I'd rather be in your team!"

"Oh, we don't think that standing at the grill is good for our beauty …" Maris remarked. "Cooking is something for proletarian women."

"Such as Addie and Geena!" Patti added. She saw how her enemies got their barbecue set rigged and ready.

"We have just come in order to see Addie and Geena lose!" Cranberry concluded.

The three girls looked at each other, beaming and highfiving. "Burn!"

Logan smiled. "Lose they will!" He nodded. "Granted, Dork Matthews is in my team, but that's not relevant. He's not doing anything. I have to do the whole work!" Logan grinned.

The three snob girls wished Logan good luck.

Logan waved and smiled. He walked past Missy Meany's grill. He was astonished. "You looke like a fine lady. Why are you going to work at the grill?"

Missy's eyes bugged out. "Logan? The one and only son of Malcolm Reese?"

Logan nodded solemnly. "That's true!"

"Missy Meany!" Missy shook his hand. "The daughter of the owner of Meany Unlimited." She smiled. "Well, I'm not doing the actual dirty work. My whipped slaves will do that." She looked around and yelled. "Coconut Head! Qwerly! Hurry up!" Missy smiled sweetly at Logan. "Slaves are no longer what they have been in the good old times …"

Logan nodded solemnly. "Too true …"

* * *

Nevel and Megan walked down the campus aisle.

"The stench of pork …" Nevel turned his nose away. "Yuck!"

"OK, what dip are we going to make? I have once won a salsa contest …" Megan smiled.

Nevel beamed. "Well, I have that recipe from my mom whose grandmother had migrated from Southern France like seventy years ago, fleeing from the Nazi scums … it's called tapenade: garlic, capers, and olives …"

Megan smiled. That sounded yummy.

"Dustin is fetching the ingredients. But maybe if we combine it with your recipe?" Nevel beamed. "That will be some hell of a salsa!"

Nevel and Megan highfived.

Dustin had seen them, and now he walked up to them. "Hi! Let's make the salsa somewhere else, this place stinks too much for Nevel!"

Megan agreed wholeheartedly.

"The burnt offering of a pig still stinks to heaven!" Nevel remarked. "It has bestowed a curse upon Zion!"

"The curse upon Zion?" Dustin wondered.

Nevel nodded." Yeah, the swine sacrifice committed by Titus, as predicted in the _Book of Daniel_, in the tradition of Antiochos Epiphanes."

Dustin didn't quite make sense of Antiochos Epiphanes.

Nevel explained: "That's a king of the Hellenic-Syriac dynasty of the Seleucides. He had tried to dishonorify the temple of Zion, but he was stopped by the rising of the Maccabees. [[32]]"

Megan gasped. "Could there be a connection to the curse that rests on this school?"

Dustin trembled. He had suspected this, too. "You've told us that cursed sites may be contagious."

Nevel nodded. "That would be a powerful curse, indeed. And my inner senses tell me that it is so …"

Megan gasped. "Will the barbecue festival aggravate the curse?"

Nevel shrugged. "That's not unlikely. Yet nothing can be said unless we have understood how the curse made it from the Temple to the PCA …"

Nevel, Dustin, and Megan knew that there was still a long way to go.

* * *

Most of the pupils didn't care in whatever way about any potential curse, and what their party had to do with it. They just had fun.

Alas, Freddie and Sam could not stay in the same team. Hence Carly had to split them. Spencer and Freddie formed a team, and so did Carly and Sam.

"I like this sauce!" Sam explained. She took some of the barbecue dip that she had found on the table of Michael and Zoey. Then she smeared it right into Freddie's face. "Looks cool!"

Freddie was upset and threatened to tilt Sam's barbecue set.

"Forget about that!" Spencer beguiled Freddie. "They stand no chance, because I am the barbecue king!" He swang his meat flipper. Besides the ribs, Spencer had bought quite a few goodies for the barbecue.

Freddie smiled. "Go, Spencer!"

* * *

Drake and Josh arrived right in the last moment for getting started.

Walter who was Josh 's father had come with them. He saw Coco Wexler, dorm adviser and assistant juror of this contest. "Ma'm, you've got something in your face!" he remarked. Then he stuck a finger into Coco's face and licked it clean. "Yummy!"

Coco smiled. "That's my sauce!"

Drake and Josh found their girls Lola and Quinn, respectively.

Lola hopped right into Drake's arms, ready for a smoochie.

Quinn was ecited. "My liquid candle! I hope that it burns!"

Cookie arrived with Quinn's candle, a glass container filled with some sort of oil. "The key is the slow, creeping combustion."

Quinn nodded and explained the formula for the candle unto Josh.

"You're a genius!" Josh told Quinn. "I can't wait for your next invention …"

"No problem!" Quinn announced. "I've also invented a spray that makes your hair grow faster than usual."

"Cool!" Josh beamed. "How does it work?"

Quinn explained the formula readily.

Josh jumped up and down. "I want to grow a moustache! [[33]] Now!"

"OK, my snuggleloaf!" Quinn smiled sweetly at Josh. She applied her spray to a spot right above Josh's upper lip. "That will fix it!"

Josh smiled.

Immediately, a few hairs began to sprout.

Lola and Drake had to laugh because the moustache was growing really fast.

Quinn noticed what was going on. After a few minutes, the new hairs almost covered Josh's mouth and nose holes entirely. She shrieked.

Lola also screamed hysterically.

Nobody had watched the grill as everybody was staring at Josh's upper lip.

In addition, they had totally neglected Quinn's liquid candle. The vibrations caused by Lola's voice made the glass walls of the liquid candle burst slightly. A few drops of candle oil escaped through the microscopic ruptures, eventually dripping right into the glowing charcoal. In no time, a giant flame shot forth from Josh's and Drake's grill, searing Drake, Josh, Cookie, Quinn, and Lola.

Spencer took the fire extinguisher. Freddie's mom had fortunately only allowed Freddie to participate under the condition that Spencer had always been keeping a fire rigged and ready. And now he understood why she had insisted in that. He aimed the tube at the burning barbecue set. A cloud of smoke billowed forth from the charcoal.

In no time, Drake, Josh, Lola, Cookie, and Quinn were covered all over with soot and ashes. They coughed and choked like nobody's business.

Dean Rivers stepped up to the team of Drake and Josh. "You're disqualified!"

Drake and Josh peered at each other with dismay while Lola and Quinn tried to wipe the soot from their faces, after having fanned the ashes of them, as far as only possible. They started weeping. Not even Megan's pranks could be so cruel.

* * *

Megan had overseen the scene from across the campus. "Boobs … I shouldn't waste any more time pranking them. They have learnt enough to bust themselves." She grinned mischievously.

Nevel highfived Megan. "They are so going to rue the day!"

* * *

Pierre Le Mange had just discovered a cotton swab stick in the sauce that came with Stacey Dillsen's ribs. "Disqualified!" He decided.

Stacey screamed and started weeping like some thousand sirenes.

"Stacey!" Moze huggled her. "That's going to have consequences! My friend Claire Sawyer, a future lawyer, has looked it all up. It's illegal to discriminate pupils because of their lisp. I usually don't follow Claire's well-meant suggestions, but this time it is plain necessary. We're so going to sue Pierre Le Mange and Coco Wexler!" Moze clenched her fists.

Stacey smiled sweetly and kissed Moze lightly.

* * *

Pierre Le Mange swooned when he tasted Logan's ribs. "Yum!"

"That is down to the world famous rib rub of the Reese family!" Logan boasted. "Here it is!" He showed the spice mix unto Pierre Le Mange.

Nevel just dared to cross the place, the bestialic stench of roasted pork notwithstanding. He was looking for Dean Rivers. "Sir!"

Dean Rivers turned around. "Mr. Papperman?"

"There's something wrong with the spice mix used as rib rub by Logan Reese."

"Really?" He scratched his head.

Nevel nodded. "I have got a certified absolute sense of smelling[[34]]" He boomed. "And my nose tells me : The world-famous rib rub of the Reese family contains Peruvian puff pepper!"

Dean Rivers shrugged with ignorance.

"It's a spice found in Southern and Central America." He grinned. "It leads to kidney failure!"

Dean Rivers choked and coughed. "If things are as you say … Logan Reese is going to have to be disqualified."

Nevel nodded solemnly.

He coughed. "I need to get everything counterchecked by the UCLA central medic labs …" Dean Rivers told Nevel. "But I can't risk that this desastrous spice endangers the health of my pupils. The good renown of the school would be ruined once and for good." He grabbed his megaphone. "Attention! … Attention!" He sighed. "This is an important announce. Canditates Logan Reese and Chase Matthews are urgently suspected to have used a spice that is excessively dangerous to your health. It's the so-called Peruvian puff pepper. It causes kidney failure. Therefore, I have to disqualify team reese and Matthews! All those who have eaten from their ribs are urgently requested to check with the campus medic, Dr. Glazer."

Pierre Le Mange choked and vomited on site.

Chase Matthews grabbed Logan's shirt. "What? Say that this isn't true!"

"Cool down, pal!" Logan ordered Chase. "Peruvian puff pepper is an expensive spice that has been cultivated by the slaves of the Reese family all over Southern and Central America for several generations. It's very delicious, and we can't convince a cook of six stars like Pierre Le Mange with cheap spices!"

Chase felt the vomit billowing upwards from his stomach. He floundered and coughed, hardly able to stay on his feet.

Drake and Josh were happy that they were not the only victims of a disqualification due to Peruvian puff pepper.

Zoey threw her arms around Chase in a desperate attempt to comfort him.

Michael grinned triumphantly. "I've so seen that coming! You are a mean cheater!" He thundered into Logan's direction.

Logan was consternated. "But it's famous all around the world!" He glared at Pierre Le Mange. "Sir! I've paid you 300 bucks for letting me win. Give me my money back!" He commanded rudely.

"Security!" Dean Rivers yelled. "And I'm going to talk with Mr. Malcolm Reese about it. There will be consequences!"

"Do you rue the day, Logan?" Nevel grinned. "You rue it!"

* * *

Sam Pucket didn't care in any way about Peruvian puff pepper. She shoved rib after rib down her jaw, burping with comfy. This annoyed Freddie, as usual. But something about Pierre Le Mange bothered her. "Carly?"

"What's up, Sam?" Carly wondered.

"This is not Pierre Le Mange!" Sam stated.

Carly shrugged. "He isn't?"

Sam nodded vigorously. "I've been watching his cooking show night after night, for over five years now. And I may tell you …"

Carly sighed. She better believed Sam.

"You damned Charlatan!" Sam cried into Pierre Le Mange's direction.

"Ma'm?" Le Mange turned around and feigned innocence. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Sam took a leap and grabbed Pierre Le Mange's nose with her greasy fingers. This attempt failed, but she retried again after having licked her finger tips, Le Mange still being consternated. She tore a mask off Pierre's face, revealing that he had been a fraudulent pretender and deceiver. Then she slapped him thrice across the face, leaving greasy marks all over.

The audience gasped.

Dean Rivers was most dismayed. "Security!"

Michael sighed deeply. No Pierre Le Mange meant nobody to award him for the best pork chops, prepared with his grandmother's traditional marinade. "Sir!" He yelled after Le Mange. "I've wasted a massage on you! I want it back!"

Dean Rivers had just recovered from having heard about Le Mange being a fraud, and now he had heard Michael Barret admitting his attempted bribery. "This will have consequences, Barret!"

Zoey Brooks was upset and her mood was increasingly stinky. She went to Chase. "That sucks! Let's go to Geena and Addie and join their team!"

Chase nodded solemnly. "And they are more fun than Michael and Logan."

Addie and Geena smiled.

"OK, the meat is almost done." Addie explained. "And now I'm going to prepare the sliced vegetables for Zach."

Geena grinned. "He insists in non-violent food."

* * *

Suddenly, Officer Carl [[35]] showed up with a bunch of policemen. "OK, you seem to have been faster!" he told the security team. "We've come to arrest this guy. He has already cheated on many occasions, pretending to be Le Mange."

The security guard rendered the fake Le Mange unto the policemen.

Coco was even more disappointed. She had been a fan of Le Mange.

Walter noticed that Coco's face was full of marinade and barbecue dips. He didn't hesitate licking it clean.

"Thanks, Sir!" Coco grabbed Walter and pulled him closer for a passionate kiss.

Dean Rivers addressed Sam. "M'lady! What's your name?"

"Samantha Pucket!" Sam said. "But you may call me Sam! I'm from Seattle." She grinned with pride.

"OK, Sam!" Dean Rivers smiled. "So you're not yet a student at this school?" He sighed. "You should definitely enroll here! We need pupils with your integrity and your attention for details!"

Sam jumped up and down, and she bounced around.

Freddie went pale. "Sam gets a reward? That's so not fair!"

Carly was happy for her friend. "Freddie! We just have to ask Spencer and your mom, maybe we will make it to this school together!"

Freddie beamed brightly. "Together … alone .. the two of us … no Spencer and no mom to stop us …" He had got such an insane crush on Carly. He played with his lips, waiting for a kiss.

Carrly shook her head. "Please! Don't start this again! We've already stretched it out." She sighed. "We can't be more than friends, and you need to accept that."

Freddie sighed bitterly. "One day, I will be your second husband. And nobody will be able to prove what has happend unto your first hubby …"

Spencer heard that. "The ghost will have eaten him?" He laughed, along with Carly.

Freddie pouted. "Arghhh! You're going to see!"

* * *

Nevel met Megan and Dustin at the other end of the campus.

Megan remarked: "Have you seen the girl that looked similar to me? That's my cousin Carly from Seattle … I'm pretty sure!"

Nevel was astonished. "The world is so small!"

Dustin gasped. "That other girl with wavy blond hair .. she looks so much like my disgusting ex-girlfriend Trisha Kirby, a bitch who is so going to rue the day! Trisha's still at this school."

Nevel nodded. "She's going to rue it!" He sighed. "In addition, I sense from that blonde's aura that she's going to bring a lot of bad luck to the school. Her aura gives me the creeps! Totally!"

"Could she be a demon?" Dustin asked.

Nevel shrugged. "We will have to investigate."

Zachariah Carter Schwartz had snuck over to them. "Hey pals!" He smiled. "Your non-violent dip …" He started swooning. "The best dip ever!" He shoved some roasted slices of eggplants, dipped into tapenade-jalapeno salsa, into his mouth, purring contently.

"Oh, thanks!" Megan smiled. "The perfect combination of tapenade and red salsa!"

Nevel and Megan highfived.

Now Zoey came along. "Dustin, do you want some leftover pork chops?"

Dustin shook his head. "I've decided to stop eating pork!"

"So have I!" Megan chimed in.

Zoey shrugged. "OK, whatever … I guess I'll give the remains to that new blonde, Samantha, she's insatiable, or so I think. She reminds me a lot of Trisha, though. They look alike, and Trisha had very bad habits, until she started calling herself Melanie Puckett, whereupon she has started acting a lot nicer."

"Puckett!" Nevel boomed. "A traditional family name from Seattle …"

"You mean … Sam and Trisha aka Melanie are related, indeed?" Zoey scratched her chin.

Nevel nodded.

* * *

** 4.3. After The Festival**

* * *

Logan met Missy and kissed her soundly on the cheeks. "Sorry for not having talked to you earlier! I had to appear in the Dean's office. 5 detentions per week, for four weeks staright." He sighed.

"Not a problem … be proud of it!" Missy stammered. "I've found a few more friends …" She pointed at Maris Bingham, Cranberry, and Patti Perez.

"Hi Logan!" Patti smiled. "You've done the right thing. What do we have money for if we can't use it to bribe people?"

Missy nodded solemnly.

Logan agreed. "At least we're not losers like Chase Matthews or Addie Singer …"

"I don't know who Chase and Addie are …" Missy Meany added. "but your judgement will be right."

Maris, Patti, and Carnberry took Logan and Missy straight into their middle. "Burn!" They smiled sweetly while highfiving.

* * *

It was the last weekend before the Spring break, and after Easter, new pupils were going to be enrolled at the PCA: Megan was going to be among them.

Drake hugged Megan. "For me and Josh, it's a bit late for a switch. But you're better off here with your new friends and all those clubs and electives."

"We're going to visit you frequently!" Josh promised.

Megan nodded. "I know why you're going to visit very often …" She grinned. Of course she knew that Lola and Quinn were the real reasons.

Drake's eyelids had been charred badly when their barbecue set was blown up.

"Don't worry!" Josh twitched. "I've helped Quinn inventing an apparatus for laser eye surgery. I'll take care of your wounds." Josh twitched again. "All I need is a calm hand!"

"Then there's no reason to worry, boobs!" Megan grinned. She knew that she was going to miss them terribly, and she did not plan any more pranks on them. She knew that her creativity was going to be needed for totally different projects …

* * *

Zoey hugged Geena, while Chase huggled Addie when they said goodbye for the time being. They knew that they were going to see them again , as they had been given the permit to join the PCA for the upcoming spring term.

"I so hope to make it to the fashion fair in Milan!" Zoey sighed.

"So do I!" Geena admitted shamelessly. "I've heard the Blix van is on tour again. Maybe we can win a helicopter trip to Milan!"

Zoey smield. "That would be perfect!"

Chase and Addie tried to sing a duet that they were about studying. They were going to have a lot of time left for doing so after the break.

Zach urged his friends to jump into the cab they had ordered. "See you!"

Chase and Zoey waved. They had gone through a lot over the last year, the ghost of Charles Galloway having been the summit. Fortunately, Galloway was history by now. Was he really?

* * *

Nevel read unto Dustin from an old book. [[36]] "OK, this explains how King Solomon achieving control over the demons, forcing them to help him build the temple of Zion. Alas, upon the destruction of the temple, the demons were released, and they are now haunting the world relentlessly."

Dustin was astounded. "So,basically, if we can't find the demons and trap them again, as did King Solomon, the PCA is doomed for good?"

Nevel nodded solemnly. "You're smart, Dustin!"

Dustin beamed. "But how will we do that? We don't have the seal of Solomon"

Nevel shrugged. "We have to do a lot more research. But I feel that Megan's oboe is the key. Let's stay tuned! This barbecue festival has been a great burden for the fate of the PCA, it will not make our task any easier. The school has already been, and is going to be more and more of a hunting ground for many demons."

Dustin nodded solemnly.

Nevel sat down by the piano, and he performed the _Slaves' Choir_ from Giuseppe Verdi's opera _Nabucco_, letting Dustin sing along.

* * *

Del Giordano le rive saluta,  
di Sionne le torri atterrate.[[37]]

* * *

Nevel shrugged. "How long are they still going to sleep, not recognising what is in front of their eyes? But verily, I tell you, they are going to rue the day if they don't wake up in time, until dystopia will they rue it!"

Dustin nodded solemnly.

* * *

** Chapter 5. Science vs. Curse**

* * *

** 5.1. Before Demonstration**

* * *

Josh looked for his mail. And there was yet another message from Quinn Pensky … "Yeah! That's incredible!" He beamed.

"Boob?" Megan pondered.

Drake chuckled. "What is?"

"A sensation! The winner of this year's science fair is coming to PCA!" Josh squealed. "The last day before their summer break!"

Drake and Megan shrugged. They knew that Josh was going to make it there, rigorously at any cost, and that they better followed him, not because of the scientific demonstration that was going to expect them, but in order to meet thier favourite pupils: Dustin, Nevel, and Lola!

Josh smiled. "The winner comes from Colorado." He announced. "Her name is Paige Howard. I'm so looking forward to learning from such a genius!" Josh beamed proudly.

Drake and Megan choked when they heard that name.

Drake grabbed Megan by her top. "Sorry, we've got to talkk about something!"

Megan shrugged and followed her real brother silently. Usually she would have protested, but she knew that there must have been a serious reason. Background: Paige Howard, the scientific genius, was no other than another cousin of Drake and Megan! Even more, Megan and Paige almost looked alike, similar to Carly. Josh did not know about that branch of the family. Megan had visited her a few times, but always under the pretense of seeing another girl from her town, Jessica. [[38]]

* * *

"OK …" Drake stammered. "This is calling for trouble." He sighed. "Josh will know that we've lied to him for year …"

"We haven't lied …" Megan corrected Drake. "We just have failed to mention Paige at all, that's it."

"This won't make Josh any happier …" Drake moaned.

"True!" Megan admitted. "But it was for the better of Josh …"

"So he couldn't prefer Paige over you?" Drake scratched his head.

Megan shook hers. "Boob! I've known long since that Josh will never like me that way … no, don't you remember why you wanted to keep it a secret?"

Drake only remembered vaguely.

Megan sighed. "OK … Paige is four years younger than Josh, yet she had won lots of awards already. You didn't want to discourage Josh by facing her. I'm sure Josh isn't less smart than Paige, she has just got more luck with her relatives …"

Drake sighed. Now that megan had talked about it, he remembered clearly that this was the reason why he had started to urge Megan to stay silent about Paige. And in a few days, the fake curtain was going to be ripped apart into oblivion.

* * *

Cookie was totally excited. "Paige Howard! Yeah!" He beamed and ran all over the school yard. He had so been looking forward to see the demonstration of Paige's invention, an improved engine to turn trash into energy. It was going to power the PCA from the next term onward.

Jenifer wondered. "OK, I guess I have to come with you … otherwise you will run like an idiot into that machine, whatever it is meant to do …"

Ned Bigby shrugged. "OK, I'm in it … whatever it is!"

Mr. Sweeny, science teacher at James K. Polk School, had been faster than the kids and hence organised a compulsory field trip to the PCA in order to meet up with Paige Howard and her invention.

* * *

Mr. Beringer, teacher for physics at the PCA, counted the mass of visitors from all over California expected for the demonstration of Paige Howard's apparatus.

Dean Rivers was most honoured. He still wished Paige to come to the PCA for high school, although Paige had already done the SAT at the age of 10 years with full score, and she was probably nowhere in need of high school. In any case, the publicity he expected for his school was phenomenal and unreached in the whole history of this educational institution, since Mr. Bradford Senior had founded it.

Zoey Brooks had been called into the headmaster's office. "Dean Rivers?"

"Brooks!" Rivers boomed. "As you know, Mrs. Paige Howard is coming for a demonstration of her invention …"

Zoey nodded. "I've heard about it …"

"Very Good!" Rivers stood up. "And your task is the one of guiding Mrs. Howard around the school. It's a great honour and resposnsibility. Are you aware of that?"

Zoey nodded. "Completely!"

Dean Rivers grinned. "OK. It is an important event for us, and we can't afford any mistake!"

Zoey shrugged. For sure, she didn't want to be made responsible for any trouble during Paige's visit.

* * *

Dustin smiled. "Paige Howard is a cousin of Megan and Drake …"

Nevel grinned. "Very cool!"

"Do you think that the ghost and the curse are going to sabotage the whole thing?" Dustin was worried.

Nevel nodded. "Indeed, that's a great question." He sighed. "The recent events must have upset the ghost a lot. And I'm sure that it won't work out as expected. Alas, what it means, I can't tell!"

"Let's be on guard …" Dustin suggested.

Nevel grinned and highfived. "As dangerous as it is, if we are observant, we may learn a lot about the origin of the curse and how to deal with it … if we make it through it alive! But then again, who wants to live forever?"

Dustin shrugged helplessly.

"I admire Paige's genius …" Nevel admitted. "But it can't hold a dim candle to the power of the curse."

Dustin nodded solemnly.

* * *

Quinn was very excited. But she was afraid of losing it again. Not long ago, she had almost given up on science because she had been unable to develop a gas to knock out her stray rat: Rather, she had knocked herself out. Alas, this time, the danger of being humiliated was much bigger. She was preparing an anti-gravity chamber. And it better worked. If younger Paige Howard was better at that, Quinn might as well o and dig her own grave

* * *

** 5.2. The Big Machine**

* * *

Quinn felt already humiliated. Paige had just been in her physics class and corrected Quinn on various occasions. And now … this antigravity chamber refused to work properly … Quinn knew that Zoey was going to show up with Paige not much later, and hence she was nervous.

The door opened, and, luckily, it was Drake and Josh.

Lola jumped into Drake's arms, smiling happily, although … "Quinn has just shredded my new pear phone!"

Drake was upset at Quinn who just stammered helplessly.

Josh sat down by Quinn's side and took a look at that thing. "OK, I wish it was night, or Cookie came in through that door."

Drake carried Lola out of the dorm. "Sushi Rox?"

"Yes, please!" Lola smiled happily, forgetting about her stupid pear phone.

Cookie rushed in. He had been informed by Quinn about her despair and thus he had hurried up, escaping especially from Sweeny's stern control.

The three science freaks brainstormed over the buggy anti-gravity chamber. After ten minutes, the thing started to work.

Quinn, Cookie, and Josh highfived. None of them would have been able to fix the thing all alone, but the brainstorming triple knew no limit.

Zoey bounded in. "Excuse me, Paige Howard is here …"

Josh and Cookie had been waiting for that moment. They turned around in order to shake Paige's hand.

"Hi!" Paige smiled. "So you are scientists, too?" Paige asked Josh and Cookie.

Cookie nodded solemnly.

Josh wanted to nod, as well, but then he noticed the close similarity between Paige and Megan. He was totally consternated and almost passed out.

* * *

Lola and Drake were sitting in Sushi Rox, ordering California rolls.

"And you really are related to that science star?" Lola beamed.

Drake nodded. "And now it will break Josh's heart because she's much younger yet more successful." He sighed. "I couldn't watch it, hence the walk to Sushi Rox …"

Lola understood. "Paige also appears above Quinn's capacities. She had humiliated her when she visited our physics lessons …"

"And Josh will break my skull when he figures that we've hidden her from him …" Drake whimpered.

"So … let's ignore them and sit here, making out?" Lola suggested smiling.

"Sure!" Drake pulled Lola into a lingering kiss.

Megan walked past. She was upset and grabbed Drake by the ears. "You've promised to stand by Josh!" She also noticed flabbergasted Lola. "What a sort of roomie are you? Quinn needs your reassurance!" She grabbed Lola's top. Then she dragged the love birds out of the restaurant.

* * *

Megan pushed Drake and Lola rudely into dorm 101 where they found Quinn, Cookie, and Josh all embarassed by Paige's intellectual superiority.

Well, Josh would have shown his embarassment, had he been conscious enough to do so, but he was in the middle of somewhere between a daze and a trance.

Quinn was looking for some potion against Josh's miserable condition, but her disappointment about not being able to hold a candle to the prodigy from Colorado was almost paralysing her.

Cookie's condition wasn't substantially different.

Megan hugged Paige.

"I'm so sorry!" Paige sighed.

"Josh!" Megan tried to help her step brother. "Paige may have been more lucky so far, but that doesn't mean that you're potentially less brilliant as scientists."

"As she said .." Drake added.

"I may borrow you my hair lotion!" Lola offered to the disappointed geeks. "So at least your hair will look better than Paige's!"

Quinn stared oddly at Lola.

Zoey Brooks looked at her watch. "The demo is going to start in an hour, so you better get ready for it!"

"And what if we don't want to see it?" Quinn asked, speaking for Josh and Cookie as well.

Megan shook her head. "Josh, you've worked so hard for it. Why do you want to trash it for no good reason?"

Paige shrugged helplessly. "Sorry, I now really have to go!"

Zoey nodded. "OK, Paige. If they want to rip themselves apart in self-pity, we can't help them anymore. Dean Rivers is already waiting for us!"

Paige took her folder and followed Zoey out on the campus.

* * *

Megan shrugged helplessly. "One day, Paige might need your help."

"No way!" The consternated freaks stared oddly at Megan.

"May I now hide with Lola in a dark corner?" Drake begged.

Megan shook her head. "You're going to stand by Josh's until the bitter end, and so will Lola by Quinn's!" She sighed. "I've got some important things to do!"

* * *

There it was: The machine that everyone had been admiring.

"Paige's top is uncool!" Geena Fabiano remarked, shuddering with disgust.

Addie sighed. She strummed her guitar and sang along.

* * *

Runrig: _The Apple Came Down_ which I don't own.  
Life support genius  
At the end of time  
The greatest living brain alive  
A breath of chance matter  
From a fallen star  
The power is on  
And reaches far

* * *

Mary Ferry and Duane Ogilvy, two of Addie's and Geena's friends, were not pleased at all by Geena's attempts to mock Paige. They stared downright oddly at her.

Dean Rivers gave his usual pathetically boring sermons before Paige could pull the lever.

Jeremiah Trottman talked insanely about a lot of unscientific humbug.

Zoey asked Dean Rivers to call security, as Jeremiah was just an annoyance and a bad example for the youth.

Dean Rivers agreed. "Security!"

Mr. Sweeny had made his way to Paige and asked her about a few scientific details. "Oh, have you already met Cookie? He's the valedictorian in science at my school …"

Paige nodded sadly. "He hides in 101 Brenner Hall because he feels unworthy of my presence …"

Mr. Sweeny was flabbergasted. He was going to tell his other students about this.

"Cookie is a dork and a coward!" Evelyn Kwong, the co-valedictorian, thundered energically.

Chase took his guitar and played a tune,[[39]] singing along.

* * *

Standing there alone  
The system's waiting  
All systems are go  
"Are you sure?"  
Control is not convinced  
But the computer  
Has the evidence  
No need to abort  
The countdown starts

* * *

The point of no return was finally reached.

Zoey shook Paige's hand after she had pulled the trigger. "A little gesture for you, but a huge gesture for the PCA!"

Flattered Paige Howard chuckled. But she didn't forget to watch the control instruments conscientiously. "So far, it';s perfect!" She smiled.

* * *

Nevel, Megan, and Dustin watched the whole thing from Dustin's dorm.

"Hey! I sense something supernormal …" Megan alerted.

"Galloway?" Dustin trembled.

"Don't fear the ghost of Galloway …"Nevel corrected Dustin. "Fear the demon that is at the bottom of all the fuss!"

Megan nodded. "The sensation increases …"

"OK … time for our countermeasures?" Dustin shivered.

Nevel rushed to his miniature piano - a big one didn't fit into the PCA dorms.

Megan had already held her oboe nervously in her hands. She was just waiting for Nevel's sign.

Nevel Papperman hit the keys, singing along, as did Dustin.

* * *

Dies irae, dies illa  
Solvet saeclum in favilla  
Teste David cum Sibylla[[40]]

* * *

-Requiem based on medieval hymn "Dies Irae Dies Illa" by Tom of Celano

* * *

back at the machine …

"There's something wrong …" Paige sensed. "The numbers start slagging way behind my calculations."

"Is that good or bad?" clueless Zoey asked.

"In the best case, it's a waste of time, in the worst case …" Paige turned more and more worried the longer she watched the instruments. "Oh no, I can't break it …"

Zoey started shivering. But, no matter what, she would stand through the whole thing by Paige's side, because she might not have been a science geek, but she wasn't a coward like the rest of the PCA.

Paige already wanted to beg Dean Rivers to order the evacuation of the campus … but the feared the likely panic reactions of most of the pupils.

Zoey whispered to Dean Rivers. "It';s dangerous, we better get everyone to leave the campus in time, and no panic!"

Dean Rivers was upset. he has seen too many bad movies by Malcolm Reese where evacuations encouraged criminals to sack the alerted villages. Hence he hesitated.

"It's urgent!" Zoey pushed Dean Rivers.

Sighing deeply, Dean Rivers ordered the evacuation of the panic, telling the pupils to leave calmly. but it was for naught, they broader mass of the pupils panicked like a stampede of wild buffaloes.

* * *

"If we have to die …" Lola beamed "I want to die fashionably, at least!" She swooned. "In mt best dress and with glistening hair!"

"As long as it is with you in my arms …" Drake swooned.

Lola kissed Drake.

Alas, there wasn't any time to waste. Drake and Lola grabbed Josh, Cookie, and Quinn by theire tops and dragged them away when the red alert bells sounded across the campus.

Josh preferred to die in there, as his life was already ruined. Quinn and Cookie thought in a similar manner.

On their way out, they stomped all over Mr. Sweeny who was still looking for Cookie.

Suddenly, a megaphone yelled. "Mr. Simon Nelson Cook, Mrs. Quinn Pensky, and Mr. Joshuah Nichols are requested to come to the campus fountain in order to assist Mrs. Paige Howard. The time is running out on us!"

"We are too dumb for that!" Quinn, Josh, and Cookie boomed unison.

Drake and Lola looked sternly at those cowards of scientists.

* * *

Addie finally stumbled into Chase. "Nice tune …" She remarked about his song.

"Yours was wonderful. too!" Chase admitted.

"Oh, really?" Addie wondered. She took her guitar and continued.

* * *

There's not long left  
It's a race against time  
They say he's close  
He could lose his mind

* * *

The blind masses had already lost their mind. Chaos ruled Pepperdine beach.

Chase took his guitar and continued his own song.

* * *

Back at ground control  
There is a problem  
Go to power full  
Not responding  
"Hello are you receiving  
Turn the current on!"  
We're standing by

There's no reply

* * *

Clueless Zoey did some slave jobs, but she couldn't replace the three competent experts.

Drake Parker kicked the butts of Josh, Quinn, and Cookie hard. "Now help Paige!" He was terribly worried about his cousin.

Nevel Papperman stumbled along. He sniffed. "You need a better metal! Zinc is so suckish a conductor!" He could distinguish metals from their smell, even when he was yards away.

The guards didn't want to let him pass. But he was sure that nothing bad could happen to him because he had been charged with the power of the requiem.

Dustin distracted the guards with a gummi worm.

Nevel stormed along and grabbed Zoey's dorm key. "Take this!"

At the same time, Quinn, Josh, and Cookie had found the theoretical problem.

Zoey was upset and yelled like a high-tone fury

Paige smiled. Using the key, she bridged the circuit and halted the machine before it could blow up and bury the PCA in a heap of stones and dusts..

Quinn, Josh, and Cookie explained now their discovery unto Paige.

The bells rang the end of the red alert.

Megan chukled when she ended her oboe performance.

* * *

** 5.3. After the Demonstration**

* * *

After the demonstartion, Paige jumped into Drake's car. "It's nice that you let me spend the summer break with you in San Diego!" she told Drake and Megan.

Josh was still speechless.

"Joshie!" Paige sighed. "You've been so great!"

Josh sighed.

"And now you get to know the smarter branch of Drake's family!" Paige chuckled.

Megan glared oddly at Paige.

"They aren't dum!" Josh justified Drake and Megan. "They are just … smart in another manner!"

Megan huggled Josh.

"I know!" Paige smiled. "Just why did you have to hide me from Josh?"

"They did the right thing!" Josh moaned. "If I had known earlier, I hadn't been able to handle it at all. I may hardly handle it now …"

Paige nodded. "OK! You're probably right …" She started sobbing.

* * *

Dustin still wondered. "Did our ceremony stop the ghost, or the technical intervention?"

Nevel scratched his head. "Maybe this, maybe that … I wish we knew it. But I'm sure that we've just delayed the trouble that is ahead. The dystopia is pending unless we may spellbind the demons again, as did King Solomon."

"We need the seal!" Dustin shrugged helplessly.

Nevel nodded solemnly. "It's a race against time … I sense that the demons that have been released when the temple got destroyed will start to strike again from this place of the earth, unless we're faster than them …"

Dustin trembled.

* * *

A fewq days later, Paige received a message from the caltech. "Josh! Read this!"

Josh looked at the letter. "They've accepted you to Caltech Undergraduate school?"

"Read whom else!" Paige whistled innocently.

"Quinn Pensky … Joshuah Nichols … Simon Nelson Cook!" Josh bounced around.

"Will you accept the invitation?" Paige answered.

"Sure, if dad lets me …" Josh beamed. "Alas, only if Quinn and Cookie do the same!"

"Ask them!" Paige smiled. "That's better than just sitting around!"

Josh ran to the phone.

Megan bounded in.

"Have you got a moment, cousin?" Paige asked.

"Sure!" Megan smiled.

"I don't think that the whole accident at Pepperdine beach was a scientific problem …" Paige moaned. "I've never believed in ghosts, but I start reconsidering it …"

Megan grinned. "Oh, you do? As a scientist?"

Paige shrugged. "Don't tell Josh about it, please …!"

Megan nodded. "That's for the better of Josh, too. He respects you, and if your worldview is stumbling , he'll suffer even more now."

Drake came back, dragging Josh along. "Josh is going where?"

"Quinn and Cookie agree!" Josh beamed. "Off to Caltech!"

"And why am I the last one to know?" Drake pouted.

"Megan hasn't known either!" Paige shrugged.

Megan threw her arms around Josh. "I'm proud of you, boob!" She chuckled.

Drake sighed bitterly. "Now I'm going to be all alone!"

"The doors of the PCA are still open for you!"

Drake moaned. "They require thrice as much effort as a normal school!" He sighed. "And I hate schools!"

"But you like Lola!" Megan grinned. "And you hate Mrs. Hayfer!"

Drake beamed. "Good argument! PCA, here comes Drake Parker!"

Megan threw her arms around Drake. "I would have been sad there without you. boob!"

Drake sighed. Now he had to beg mom, which wasn't too hard, as she felt better when Drake was there at the PCA for Megan.

Paige and Megan continued talking about the ghost.

"The seal of solomon? Temple curse?" Paige shrugged. "All of that sounds very interesting. There are things between heaven and earth …"

Megan nodded solemnly.

* * *

Zoey was sad when she heard the message about Quinn's pending departure from the PCA for Caltech, but she had to accept it.

Lola shrugged. "Whom will they force us to live with? I hope it's Lisa Perkins …"

The door went open.

Stacey Dillsen bounded in, sobbing piteously. "My cotton swab sculpture from stonehenge … " She started weeping when she showed a pile of deformed cotton swabs. "The stampede destroed it!" Stacey hadn't noticed at all that much worse things than the coton swabs had bee at stake. " Anyways, Mrs. Burvich said that I'm going to move in with you, as Quinn is about leaving."

Zoey and Lola choked and coughed. Maybe the machine should have exploded instead? That would have been a much more merciful destiny than sharing a dorm with Stacey Cottonswab Dillsen.

* * *

Alas, Paige wasn't the only scientist ready to reconsider.

Wayne Gilbert aka Firewire stood in the door. "Hey! I've heard you are experts for the apocalypse?" He chuckled.

Arthur, Neil, and Cody, the companions of Wayne, chuckled equally.

Nevel looked sternly at them. "This is no subject of jokes!" His voice went trembling through their marrow and bones. "Stop laughing, or you're going to rue the day!"

Firewire and his pals went silent, all of a sudden. Firewire just showed them some cartoon that mentioned the apocalypse. "Little unforeseen explosions are going to precede …"

Nevel nodded. "OK, if you see it like this … yes, dystopia is around the corner, unless …"

Dustin wondered. "Wow, a scientist that succumbs to apocalyptics?"

"Science can't prove apocalyopse right, but it can't prove it wrong, either!" Arthur exclaimed.

Firewire nodded.

Nevel snickered. "Megan will help us even more once she's here as a pupil …"

* * *

** Chapter 6. Beauty Paigeant**

* * *

** 6.1. Megan at PCA**

* * *

Drake had to carry Megan's luggage to her new dorm, and he had to give Megan a piggy back ride. "OK! Here we are …"

"Thanks, boob!" Megan grinned. "Let's see who my roomies are …" She climbed down from Drake's aching shoulders. "Now go to Lola and get a soothing massage. You've deserved it!" Megan chuckled softly.

Ashley Blake [[41]] walked in.

Drake's head ached. Could that be? That arrogant diva that had treated him and Josh like dirt when she visited Helen's theatre like three years ago?

Ashley grinned. "Oh, Drake! I need your help … my luggage is still standing on the parking lot. Go and fetch it … it's in the pink limo!"

Drake stared flabbergasted at Megan.

"Go, boob! Do what she says!" Megan shrugged. Ashley wasn't one to mess with easily. "Where is Hector?" Megan remembered Ashley's bully bodyguard. And she knew that Drake had some painful memories concerning Vince.

"He's going to arrive tomorrow …" Ashley chuckled. "Today, my big brother Vince is going to protect me, just not inside the dormitory halls and lounges. He's officially banned."

"Vince? The great football wizard?" Megan shuddered. That mega jock was nobody she wanted to mess with, either.

Ashley nodded. "He has been caught cheating and bullying those who denounced him. Hence he had been expelled, right before the play-offs." Ahley sighed. "The team here was so lost without him, those idiots." Ashley grinned. "First, they glorified him, then they crucified him. The pupils here are nothing but worthless junk. But they are going to pay for that treason." She smiled. "I've taught Vince to feign being nice, and he'll be back soon! Now, they accepted me gladly here at the PCA as they need a new flag ship for their drama club. Lola Martinez has turned a bit blunt, as of recent."

Megan high-fived Ashley. "Wow! You're one double-edged sword!"

Ashley beamed proudly.

"Do you know that Lola Martinez is Drake's new girlfriend?"

"Really?" Ashley was flabbergasted. She had known rumours about Drake and Lola, but she had imagined that five-night-standers like Drake Parker were unable to upkeep steady girlfriends. She choked hard. She had not told Megan about her original plans to sneak Vince back into the school and restore his imperial rule and glory which those hypocrits had destroyed. Her plans had been the following: Vince plays nice to Lola, she becomes his steady girlfriend, Lola's friends all become unsuspicious, and, after a few months, they would get backstabbed. Lola, being Ashley's worst rival at Hollywood, was up for getting particularly humiliated, preferrably enough to give up on Hollywood, for good. "What do you think about Drake and Lola?"

Megan said that she was glad that Drake had found someone who shared his ambitions.

Ashley was disappointed. Her last hope had been that Megan disapproved of just any of Drake's girls. But hey, she was at least as ambitious a Hollywood actress as Lola. There it was - just a minor detour .., steal Drake from Lola, and then she would fall even much easier for Vince's deceit! That will break Lola's backbone twice! But she had to convince Megan that she was even worthier of Drake than Lola …

* * *

Drake arrived outside on the campus and encountered Vince Blake. He remembered the former captain of Belleview's football team. "Hi Vince!"

"Drake!" Vince grinned. "Are you now a Stingray?" that's how the pupils at the PCA called themselves.

Drake nodded. "And so is my little sister Megan. She shares a dorm with your Ashley …"

"OK, then you may carry that suitcase …"

Drake nodded. "I've already been put in charge with this!"

Vince continued. "I've been expelled because I've cheated in a test. I'm a football star, so that's the only way for me to …"

Drake nodded solemnly. "I guess same goes for rock stars?"

Vince grinned. "Certainly! Welcome in the club! Just know what an ungrateful bunch those Stingrays are: One day, they shout _Hosanna_ [[42]] at you, the next day, they backstab you and betray you. It is like a curse that holds this school ball and chain! And you might be the next."

Drake sighed. "Thanks for the warning … but now I better take the luggage to Ashley."

"Yeah!" Vince grinned. "We all know that Ashley is so kind and forgiving when you're a bit late or slightly unreliable!" he remarked sarcastically.

Drake and Vince high-fived.

Drake continued his way.

* * *

Having delivered Ashley's luggage and his own, Drake sank down in front of Lola, requesting a tender massage which, of course, she did not deny unto him.

"How do you like your dorm?" Lola asked Drake.

"Not bad …" Drake purred contently. "But my roomie, Calvin, is a bit annoying. He seems to be a coffee vendor."

Lola chuckled. "Yeah, that's terrible! Always those long queues in front of the coffee cart …" Lola sighed. "Unless you're the customer of the week, elected by Calvin. Then you don't have to wait or pay … but only girls get elected."

"Aw cool … I'd make you my customer of the week - every week." Drake swooned.

Lola chuckled. "It's terrible how some guys try to make out with every girl …"

"Yeah, it is …" Drake choked hard as he hadn't been any different until he got to know Lola.

"The worst jerk of all is Logan Reese." Lola announced. "He's organising a beauty paigeant. It's too obvious why."

"Will you participate?" Drake smiled.

Lola nodded. "Zoey is going to sew me a new gown for it. Oh, the winner will be on the cover of the next Buzz! Logan's dad owns 50% of that journal!" Lola beamed.

"Go and win!" Drake commanded Lola. "You may even pretend to flirt with Logan. But if he touches you, he'll pay dearly!"

Lola beamed even more.

* * *

In the evening, Megan met Dustin and Nevel in their dorm. "Sorry for being late … but my roomie, Hollywood diva Ashley Blake, kept me busy."

Dustin sighed, too. "Zoey is going to participate in a local beauty paigeant."

"I've heard about the paigenat!"Megan nodded. "Not with me, though! Ashley, on the other hand, participates because she wants to beat Lola into oblivion!"

Dustin sighed. "Why is Hollywood not big enough for Lola _and_ Ashley?"

"It is!" Nevel stated menacingly. "But mankind is weak and corrupt. Their hearts are deafened and their minds are dulled!"

Megan agreed. "By the way, Dustin, what do you know about the expulsion of Ashley's big brother, Vince, the captain of the football team?"

Dustin nodded. "Chase Matthews had caught him cheating. he wondered whether to denounce him or not. Everyone, including his roomies Logan and Michael, had dissuaded him from doing so, but he did anyways, right before the play-offs. Vince got suspended, and then he ganged up with his bully comrades in order to beat the hell out of Chase, Logan, and Michael. Thereupon, Vince got expelled."

Megan sighed. But there was one strange thing: "Logan had dissuaded Chase, but then tried to defend him?"

Dustin shrugged. "That's how they have told me. It makes not too much sense. There must be something fishy."

"Logan smells fishy from head to toe!" Nevel declared.

Megan and Dustin nodded.

"I guess that …" Dustin whispered carefully … "Maybe it was one of Logan's attempts to get pitied by the girls, especially Lola, Quinn, and Zoey, by getting himself beat up …"

Nevel nodded. "That sounds logical! In addition … Logan's so-called change of mind … you know that Logan is a big jerk, but Vince was probably more popular with the girls?"

"Totally!" Dustin smiled. "They cried like insane bitches for Vince!"

Megan recognised that Logan had achieved two things: Getting rid of his worst competitor, i.e. Vince, and not being credited for the treason, as he had only stuck for Chase after his treacherous onslaught on Vince Blake's reputation! And the girls' pity …

Nevel moaned. "The beauty paigeant is under a heavy curse. I've calculated the horoscope of the scheduled event: With Mars in the _Medium Coeli_[[43]]"

There was no doubt that the beauty paigeant was going to rouse the wrath of the invisible friend of the PCA again.

* * *

** 6.2. The Contest**

* * *

Megan, Dustin, and Nevel had watched the preparations to the beauty contest with increased worries.

Dustin was particularly annoyed because Zoey had been accepted Lola's challenge and they were now straight competitors.

"Zoey is too smart for such a perverse contest!" Megan explained. "Why does she participate, anyways?"

Dustin looked a few years back. "Before she came to this school, Zoey was at a girls-only private school near my hometown. And her worst rival there was one Katie Peckerman." Dustin shrugged, noticing the increasing tension in Nevel's face. "Katie was more beautiful, better educated, and more popular than Zoey." He sighed deeply.

Megan twitched like Josh. "Do you want to say that Zoey's participation is an attempt of sending a message home to that Katie Peckerman? Something like … I'm more popular and more beautiful than you?" Megan was thoroughly abhorred. How could Zoey want to compete with such a bitch?

Nevel hadn't said anything in a few minutes. Something must apparently have rung quite a bell in him, and he had to chew on it.

Dustin agreed with Megan. It was as if he hadn't been able to recognise his sister anymore. Did Catherina Peckerman make her sink that low?

Megan made a remark. "Isn't it strange that Papperman and Peckerman sound remotely similar?"

This remark had been the last straw on Nevel's back. He moaned. "Papperman … Peckerman … when my ancestors' name got first written in Latin script, it was slightly corrupted." He phewed. "I don't know exactly how and why this happened, but can't be an accident! No way!"

"You think that you and Katie are related?" Dustin stammered with dismay.

Nevel nodded sadly. He took his notebook and made some exercises with numbers and letters.

* * *

Jeremiah Trottman had opened the live report from the beauty championship.

"I could witch that Trottman into hell!" Megan declared, making her boys nod solemnly.

The minute after, the first girls that competed for the dubious crown marched up the aisle.

Logan was the chairman and unique umpire of the whole event. He was going to interview the girls and then decide about the most beautiful one among them.

Megan's cousin Carly was the first girl to walk down the aisle. She smiled in a natural manner.

Megan sighed deeply. "I don't get it … how may Carly prostitute herself for someone like Logan? She really deserves a whole lot better."

The next wannabe Miss PCA was Geena Fabiano, apparently with a self-taylored gown. She was very self-confident when she made her way along the aisle, eyed suspiciously by her archenemy Maris Bingham who was bound for the glorious quarter mile in just a few minutes from that point.

The next girl showing off with her beauty was a certain Lulu from New York City. "The gown has been made by my best friend, True Jackson!" Lulu waved into the cam, expecting many sweet boys to see her. "I love you sweeties!" She smiled.

"I'm a boy, too!" Jeremiah Trottman remarked.

"Yeah, but you're one ugly and annoying git!" Lulu croaked.

True Jackson laughed. She stuck both of her thumbs up for Lulu.

Geena saw True. "So, you're a designer? I've made my gown for the beauty show for myself! And one for my old friend Addie Singer who is going to show up later on!"

True chuckled. "Certainly! So we're the only girls who participate with a self-made gown?"

Geena shook her head. "No way! Also Zoey Brooks has made her own gown!" She waved over at Zoey who was already waiting in the queue. "Her brother had a hard time keeping her away from her roomie Lola Martinez. They are at each other's throat because Lola has accused Zoey of having made her an ugly gown!"

True choked hard. "Lulu had been suspicious, too!"

At the same time, Lulu had completed her gauntlet. She met Carly. "Hi!"

Carly smiled. "Logan is so hot!" She moaned. "Too bad he's such a dumb jerk!"

Lulu nodded. "I don't understand why we girls are always supposed to impress those good-looking yet worthless guys!"

"It's nature?" Carly shrugged helplessly.

Lulu sighed with disappointment. "If it's nature that boys may treat girls like dirt, I don't want to go with nature!" Lulu moaned. "I'd take a smart yet sweet girl over a good-looking jerk any time."

"Really?" Carly smiled. She huggled Lulu playfully.

Lulu pecked Carly's cheek. "Really …"

Logan Reese was disgusted when he saw Carly and Lulu. He had just wanted to ask them out for a dinner with an appended make-out session, just as all the other girls on the catwalk, but that was too much for him to bear. "You're disqualified!"

Carly and Lulu snuck away, not caring about Logan Reese anymore.

Megan applauded her cousin. "Way to go, Carly!"

Logan Reese groaned and spat around. He had never been turned down in such a manner.

Thereupon, Stacey Dillsen entered the long path. She was dressed with a gown that was reinforced with cotton sweabs and white glue. Stacey lisped all the time.

Logan laughed foolishly about Stacey's gown.

Stacey was totally disappointed and started weeping like the cataracts of Nigara.

Moze sighed. She had refused to participate in that vile contest. Now she was going to be busy comforting poor Stacey.

Now it was Zoey's turn.

Lola glared at Zoey with a disapproving gaze, secure in the knowledge that Zoey had deliberately made her a matron's outfit instead of a classy and fashionable gown for young women. She spat audibly into Zoey's direction, but several yards short.

When Zoey noticed that, she grinned satanically at her hadn't had the intention to disadvantage Lola, but now this had to be. "Your face is so ugly, you would lose even if we others wore sackcloth!" She grinned sadistically when she saw Lola pout and distort her posture.

Dustin started weeping. This was no longer his sister. Wgen he circuumspected the campus, he noticed a girl that he had never yever seen at the Pacific Coast Academy, but whom he knew very well from his homeland in Louisiana. It was the one and only Catherina Peckerman. Dustin woiuld have loved to throw a stone after her, but, the square being all crowded, it would not have been unlikely for Dustin to hit some innocent passerby instead. And it was ubeneath his dignity to lay hands at such an unworthy being. He sighed deeply. He had not seen Katie in over five years, so how had he been able to recognise her in no time? There must have been some electric aura surrounding Katie. But why? Even more, how had Katie found out about this event? Zoey may impossibly have informed her archrival. And Logan did not want to advertise his action outside California, as even he could not handle that many girls at the same time without passing out from testosterone overthrow.

Nevel and Megan noticed Dustin's discomfort. They asked him unison.

"Katie Peckerman!" Dustin just had to stammer her name.

Megan understood Dustin very clearly, his unusual voice - mutilated by anger, fear, and agony - notwithstanding. It was almost as if she had been able to read his mind. She looked into Katie's direction, which she had inferred from Dustin's gesture. She choked. Even if she had never known about Katie before, Megan noticed immediately that there was something scary and fishy.

Nevel nodded. "That must be her …"

Megan wondered whether Katie was a witch, a vampire, a demon, or some even more scary monster.

Zoey Brooks was unaware of Katie's presence. She was still mentally imprisoned by her encounter with Lola. Alas, instead of being intimidated, Zoey was even more reassured by Lola's hostility.

Drake had noticed Lola's postures. "She isn't worth it!" He tried to make Lola feel better. But even an offered kiss could not effect much of a change.

Zoey had finished her self-presentation.

Logan applauded and stared triumphantly at Zoey. "OK, eyecandy Brooks! Where are we going to make out tonight?"

Zoey was angry, but she managed not to show it. She smiled silently and walked away.

Lola had thought that it was her turn, but itr wasn't. And she choked hard when she saw whose turn it was: Ashley Blake's. Over several years, Lola had missed out on many rôles that she would have easily landed if there had not been that little bugger, Ashley Blake, the most arrogant diva of her branch. As if it would not hurt enough that Zoey had been rather convincing, she had to watch her dedicated rival strutting elegantly along the catwalk. Not far from her side was Hector, her gorilla, i.e. a human being with more muscles than even Vince Blake, Ashley's tough brother. Lolad did not want to have her fce reshaped by the iron fists of that elephantine being. She held Drake's hand tightly.

Ashley didn't deem Lola worthy of being greeted or even looked at, but she knew very well that Lola was going to stare at her. And she knew that Drake was not going to budge from Lola's side. This assured that Drake was also going to look at Ashley, every now and then, and she needed to impress him with her professional manner. This should convince Drake - and even more Megan - that she, Ashley Blake, was the most worthy woman at the side of Drake Parker on his way up to the tops of the stops of Hollywood. And Ashley gave her best, sure as hell.

Lola was visibly distracted by Ashley's elegance, and she felt that even Drake admired Ashley's gracious stride.

Alas, as completely opposed to Ashley's plans, Megan did not really care about that question. This was because Megan was more worried about the apparition of Katie Peckerman. If she was a demon or something like that, she could mess very badly with the ghost of Charles Galloway. But what would that make of Nevel, a far relative of Catie? Megan wasn't really scared. She knew that she loved nevel, and vice versa, no matter what, but things were going to take an interesting turn.

Dustin had waved at Zoey.

Zoey walked over to her little brother and hugged him. Then she wiped some sweat off her face.

Dustin needed to tell Zoey about Katie's presence. Alas, he just stammered imcomprehensibly. Unlike Megan, Zoey didn't have a higher understanding for Dustin's utterances.

Zoey shrugged helplessly. "What?"

Megan had followed Dustin. "Oh, Zoey! Have you already noticed Katie Peckerman?"

Zoey was flabbergasted. "Katie?" She stumbled, reeled, croaked, and fell backwards.

Chase and Addie happened to catch Zoey.

"Oh, hi?" Chase wondered what could have enervated Zoey beond reason.

"Katie Peckerman!" squealed Zoey.

Chase shrugged. "Who's that? Oh, your former friend?"

"We've never been friends!" Zoey was really annoyed upon Chase's dumb assumption.

Chase turned around for he wanted to see his friend Lola on the catwalk.

Zoey sighed. Why did Chase rather care for Lola than for Zoey's health.

Megan grumbled.

Nevel had finally joined Dustin and Megan. "Katie's aura is incredibly strong. I suffer a lot even from here!"

Dustin trembled with agony. "You still feel that you're related, somehow, somewhat?"

Nevel nodded. "I'm more sure than ever … Katie Peckerman is probably here, she seems to investigate the affairs concerning the ghost of Galloway, as well!"

Megan and Dustin trembled. Where was that going to? They imagined that Katie could be very dangerous if she had been able to grasp control over Galloway before Nevel could.

Chase and Addie cheered for Lola, hurting Zoey mentally even more..

Alas, Lola's performance distracted Zoey slightly from the problems with Katie Peckerman.

Nevel grabbed Dustin and Megan by the wrists and pulled them into some quiet corner. "If Katie notices that others are already investigating the site, it will wreak havoc. I can't tell exactly what she's up to. In any case, we need to stay quiet. We can't beguile Charles Galloway's spirit using music, such as we used to do at Paige's demonstration. Katie might listen, and she is more than likely extremely sensitive to the sounds that Megan's makes with her oboe in otrder to control spirits!"

This made a lot of sense unto Dustin and Megan. They nodded solemnly.

Nevel wiped the sweat from his face. "I'm even sure that Katie already senses our presence, or, at least mine."

Dustin trembled.

Megan held Dustin tight, diminishing his fears.

The next canditate was Maris Bingham. She was cheered at by her comrades Patti Perez, Cranberry Sinclair, and Missy Meany.

Maris was a very dilettantic fashion designer, but she could not really compete with True Jackson, Zoey Brooks, or Geena Fabiano. But she had one giant advantage: Logan really liked her, so she could not lose this beauty contest - at least under normal circumstances.

Logan's affinity towards Maris and her friends was fairly well-known, ebven more as they were now enrolled at the Pacific Coast Academy. Little wonder not too few among the participants thought of the whole event as a fake.

Logan smiled when Maris had finished her walk. He awarded her with a kiss that made some of the viewers shudder with disgust.

Many girls were still to come, but the performance of Maris had somewhat dulled the atmosphere. Many girls even retired, such as Addie Singer, Lisa Perkins, Geena Fabiano, and True Jackson.

Even Ashley moaned with despair. She concentrated more and more on watching Drake and finding his weak spot. He was way less flirtatious than he used to be before he fell head over heels addicted to Lola Martinez. But she was sure that she had impressed him, and that it was just a question of time.

Zoey met Geena. She avoided talking about Katie Peckerman.

Geena introduced True Jackson unto Zoey.

"Hey! As we are all fashion designers, how about working together and found our own fashion studio?" suggested Zoey, smiling like a sun.

True and Geena liked Zoey's idea.

"Where is Zach, anyways?" wondered Zoey.

Geena grinned. "As a pacifist and anticapitalist, he shuns this sort of events …"

Zoey nodded solemnly. "OK, I had a lot of remorses, as well."

Finally, it was the time for the last of the participants

"OK, there's one gues who made it to our beloved Pacific Coast Academy, all the way from Louisiana, just for our Beauety Pageant …" announced Jeremiah Trottman. "And her name is … Katie Peckerman!"

Zoey trembled. She hid behind an oaken tree in order to avoid being seen by her archenemy.

Jeremiah Trottman wanted to interview Katie, but, all of a sudden, a vicious pain hit his dorsal spine, making hin squeal in agony.

Katie Peckerman's stride was arrogant and impressive. She shimmered with unearthly beauty.

At the end of Katie's presentation, Logan was waiting. He had to come to a decision. His original plan had been to make out with as many girls as possible before deciding - surprisingly, as it should seem - on Maris Bingham's behalf.

Alas, what was even more surprising, he decided on site to award Katie Peckerman who didn't even dignify him with a smile or even any eye contact whatsoever.

The viewers were flabbergasted.

Even more than anyone else, Zoey stumbled carelessly and slumped into the mud, completely ashamed. Now Katie's face was going to ornate the next edition of the Buzz, the journal read by many modern teenie girls all around the USA and Canada.

Katie Peckerman laughed her butt off when she saw Zoey, covered with wet dirt.

Nobody dared to help Zoey, although everyone felt upset by Katie's demeanour.

Katie shrugged arrogantly. Then she bellowed at Zoey "Thanks for leading me to _him_!" She meant the ghost of Charles Galloway, but at this point, Zoey could not understand.

* * *

** 6.3. After The Contest**

* * *

Megan had just entered the dorm of Dustin and Nevel. It was a quiet evening.

Nevel had come to a conclusion that made him sigh. "It seems that Katie has got what she wanted … the restless spirit of Charles Galloway has left our midst!"

Dustin and Megan were consternated.

Nevel banged his head against the wall. "While this is certainly much better than having us fight over the ghost with Katie, it only serves us te,porarily. On the one hand, we don't know what Katie is up to, on the other hand, Galloway was our access to the spirit world surrounding the Pacific Coast Academy. We are now rendered unable to study the curse that rests upon us by studying the behaviour of Charles Galloway."

Apparently, Megan and Dustin could not appreciate that scenario, either. It is as if they had lost control over the situation, and anything was possible. Was the Pacific Coast Academy doomed?

"The seal of Salomon!" Nevel moaned. "It's our only chance!"

Dustin shrugged. "But what excatly is it? In that ancient text, it was sort of an engraving on some magic ring."

Megan nodded. And now she sighed and mentioned something that made her worry. "So, Katie and you share some common ancestry. What are you? Sorcerors? Wizards? Magi?" She was not afraid of her beloved nevel, she just din't fully understand.

"Are you of the seed of King Solomon?" asked Dustin.

Nevel's eyes gleamed. "_Ehejeh ashr ehejeh_[[44]]"

Megan and Dustin shuddered when they heard Nevel's divine affirmation that would have sounded blasphemic in the ears of the broad mass of people. But they knew that they were chosen in some sense. Noone but Megan and Dustin could bear Nevel's presence without going dizzy.

Nevel sighed. "But even if I had the seal, I could not stop the curse, if it is what we think it to be, unless being annointed by The Prophet of the things that were and of the things to come …"

"Could Katie obtain the same powers?" wondered Megan.

Dustin trembled.

Nevel nodded solemnly.

This did not help to make Dustin and Megan feel better.

"Katie thanked Zoey," so remarked Dustin, "for having guided her to him, I think that is Charles Galloway." He trembled. "She said that sadistically, though. What does that mean?"

Megan guessed. "Probably, Katie has been spying on Zoey from the beginning."

Nevel nodded. "Zoey coming to the Pacific Ghost Academy may have been part of Katie's plan. And maybe your transfer was the same." Nevel had deliberately replaced the word Coast with the word Ghost.

Dustin sobbed. He felt totally abused. Even more, now that Katie had reached her immediate goal, what was she going to do with Zoey?

* * *

Just a few weeks later, Zoey was going to leave American ground. Dustoin's and Zoey's parents were going to London for professional purposes. Zoey saw no reason for staying in the United States, hence she followed her parents to England and enrolled at some very exclusive academy near London.

Dustin had begged successfully to stay in California. Alas, he sensed strongly that it was no accident that Zoey had left the Pacific Coast Academy just a few weeks after Katie's intervention. He knew that he was going to miss Zoey, but even more did he know that the destiny of the PCA was now left in the hands of Katie Peckerman, unless they acquired the seal and found the prophet.

* * *

** Chapter 7. Takato**

* * *

** 7.1. The Tidings**

* * *

Megan held Dustin tightly. It had been a long term. Zoey's departure had hit Dustin more than he would have admitted. Megan was glad that Drake, inspite of being a reckless boob, had always been there for here since she set foot at the Pacific Coast Academy, but she could imagine how Dustin must have helt. But rumours had it that Zoey Brooks was going to return from British exile for the prom night. This made Dustin all excited.

A lot of other things had happened, just not another sign of activity from Charles Galloway.

Nevel concluded that Katie Peckerman had safely removed the ghost from the haunted school. but for what purpose? It seemed tightly connected to Zoey Brooks. As long as Zoey was far away, or so reasoned Nevel, Katie was going to hide Charles Galloway safely. But Zoey's pending return would trigger an assault in some yet uninmaginable form. Nevel was condemned to waiting and observing the situation acribically. He couldn't afford to let anything escape.

One of the strangest things that had happened was the return of a tall, blond rake who called himself James Garrett, but Dustin had already known him under a different name: Denifer[[45]] . Megan's cousin Carly, in turn, reported to know the same guy using the name Jake Crendle[[46]] .

Another return, not completely unexpected, had been the one of Vincent Blake. Inspite of Megan's hesitation, Ashley had been able to get Vince back to the Pacific Coast Academy. And Vince had so far been able to withstand the urgent throng to beat up Chase Matthews again.

Megan had been more than glad that Ashley had not needed her help. for Megan did not hate Chase, his stupid addiction to boneheaded rules notwithstanding. Chase was a harmless fool, sort of a substitute for Josh - whom Megan missed dearly. She too secretly pictures of Chase's little accidents, such as crashing in to a tree when being distracted by Michael, and put them onto her website, exactly as she had done to Josh Nichols. In no way would she have tolerated Chase to get hurt seriously. Sometimes she played pranks on him, with the help of Addie Singer who had become Chase's steady girlfriend. They had been close to cutting his bushy hair while he was sleeping, but, having been interrupted by Michael, they had had to leave him half done. But, on the other hand, the fact that Ashley had achieved her goal on her own scared Megan to quite some extent. How had Ashley done it? That might have meant a source for serious trouble.

* * *

Megan met Drake in the lounge. "Hi boob, are you already looking forward to your prom ball?"

Drake nodded. "Lolalas sad _yes_."

Megan sighed somewhat with relief. Vince had been hitting heavily on Lola, as subtle as it might have seemed. Fortunately, Lola and Drake were meant to be, so Vince didn't get far. Lola didn't want to risk her friendship with Chase, so she must have been alert and stuck even tighter to Drake.

Drake needed Megan's advice for the prom outfit. He could always rely on Megan's taste.

Geena and True had made him a wonderful tuxedo suit, complete with tie and matching socks, but only Megan was allowed to help Drake donning it. She could bve very jealous as a little sister. "Ok, it seems to fit! "

Megan shook her head. "You don't dare to! Juana Evangelista is in charge with helping her getting dressed. If you see her gown before the prom, it will mean seven years of bad luck, boob!"

Drake shrugged. "That's just hollow superstition, exactly like vampires, ghosts, and so on."

Megan glared grimly at Drake. "Don't even dare to talk like that about ghosts, will you?"

Drake shrugged. Since Megan had met Nevel, she had turned into a really scary girl, although they had started giving each other all the love siblings could give when they moved away from home. And Megan wasn't even a goth girl, she dressed like all the others, but that didn't help at all.

* * *

Nevel had gathered Dustin and Megan in some dark and quiet corner. He spoke with a low voice. "OK, I'm not sure, but I fear that James Garrett, or whatever he calls himself, is essentially a tool of Katie Peckerman."

Dustin and Megan looked flabbergasted.

Nevel sighed. "It is just a feeling, I can't prove it."

Dustin sighed because he had almost liked James, and he would have wanted to introduce him to Zoey when she returned from London. Maybe something would even have come out from it.

Megan shrugged. "Do you mean he's a spy or that he is actually supposed to do something, like , provocating us?"

Nevel couldn't answer that. "Dustin, you've just mentioned your sister. Katie and her are long-time rivals, right?"

Dustin looked scared when he nodded. "James is supposed to do something bad to Zoey?"

Megan huggled Dustin. "We won't allow him to touch her unless he may prove his innocence."

Dustin sighed with relief. Unlike stone-cold Nevel, Dustin needed the warmth of Megan's affectionate hugs. But, what bothered him most, was the idea that he would almost have helped Katie to get back at his sister. He shuddered with disgust.

But Nevel wasn't done. "My intuition tells me that there's a link between Katie and Ashley, as well. This is downright creepy."

Megan trembled. "And that's why Ashley didn't need me?"

Nevel nodded. "Katie must have found a way to help Ashley with her goal: Bring Vince back to the Pacific Coast Academy. And now the Blake siblings owe Katie."

Dustin and Megan agreed that this couldn't be a good thing.

* * *

** 7.2. Prom Preparations**

* * *

Logan Reese had got one big problem: _So many girls, but only one of them could be his prom date_. He could choose between Maris Bingham, Patricia Perez, Cranberry Sinclair, and Missy Meanie.

Michael envied his friend for his situation. "I'm still stuck without a prom date!" He started weeping. "Can't you borrow me one of yours?"

Logan grinned arrogantly. "You wish?"

Michael sighed. "But you may get her back during the prom. I just need a female companion in order to get past the bouncer. That guy has got arms like my grandma, I wouldn't want to get into trouble with …"

Logan laughed hysterically. "Do you think any of my girls would want to be seen with a loser like you? Patty Perez doesn't even want to cross the shadow of anyone that is less than a million's heir."

Michael sighed. "Then I better forget it. Those girls won't like to go there in a car that has just been hit by a tree."

Logan nodded. "Oh, how did that happen? A tree walked into your car?"

Michael moaned. "I try to rid mty new car. Hell, new it isn't, just for me. And he is not yet auto. I've never tried to do that."

Logan grinned. "Certainly none of my girls would consider going to prom with a loser with a used car that is scratched and that he can't control." He started laughing tauntingly.

Michael shrugged. "OK, at least there's some hope for that. I've met a Mr. Takato, an old Japanese man who wants to teach me the Zen of riding a stick-switch car. He's a teacher for mathematics for the middle school classes."

Logan scratched his head. "Never heard!"

Vince Blake bounded in. "Hey guys! I've found a prom date!"

Logan and Michael looked up to Vince, wondering which lass he had talked into coming to the prom, right by his side.

Vince chuckled. "Her name is Shelby Marx, she's the cousin of Lola Martinez."

Michael choked. "Lola has got a cousin?"

Vince nodded. "They look alike. And you better refrain from messing with her. Shelby is a martial artist, and she has got a right punch that maims you for three generations to come!"

Michael was shocked. "Wow! That's quite a tomboy!"

Vince grinned. "Don't even think about calling her like that! She might burst your neck into microscopic smithereens."

Michael trembled with dismay.

Alas, Vince had hitherto been fairly kind to him , Chase, and Logan, which was strange, in virtue of the fact that they had caused his first dismissal from the Pacific Coast Academy. Something had been fishy, but what? Michael and Logan were way too dumb to get at the bottom of that, and Chase was so naïve.

Michael sighed. "Maybe Lola's cousin Juana Evangelista culd … she has always been nice to me."

Logan grinned. "If you want to waste your prom on a middle school girl, go ahead, we won't stop you from becoming the school's new laughingstock."

* * *

Michael found Juana Evangelista Martinez in her lounge. "Hi, Juju, I need your help."

Juanita smiled. "Hi! What's going on?"

Michael told her about the missing prom date.

Juana nodded. "OK! Lola's eyes will bug out when she sees us!"

Michael smiled. "Alas, my car is a bit … scratched , and old, and I can't really drive it."

"Let's get there afoot," replied Juana.

Michael sighed. "OK, if you inist …"

Juana shrugged. "Or do you want to learn it?"

Michael talked about Mr. Takato.

Juanita grinned. "Sorry, there is no Mr. Takato teaching Mathematics for our classes."

Michael was consternated. "Are you sure? Can't be, for that's what he told me."

Juanita smiled. "Whatever, I admire how you play your flute, youdon't have to impress me with a switch stick."

Michael sighed. Why did nobody believe him?

* * *

Juanita walked into Megan's dorm. "There's no Mr. Takato among our teachers, is there?"

Megan shook her head, and she giggled about the silly question.

Juanita shrugged. She told Megan about Micahel's words.

Megan was worried. "There's something smelling fishy. I better talk to Nevel about it. You say, like the Zen of riding a stick-switch car?"

Juanita confirmed everything.

Megan took her cellular phone, and she started typing Nevel's number.

* * *

Nevel called Megan and Dustin into an emergency conference. "Mr. Takato, you say?"

Megan nodded. "Or so said Michael."

Nevel pondered. "That must be him."

Dustin and Megan did not yet understand.

Nevel sighed. "Mr. Takato has always been that old, he has never been a young man."

If Dustin and Megan had not gone through a tough series of mysterious things, they would look pretty dumbfounded. But this didn't surprise them.

Dustin remembered that Lao-Tzu, the legendary wise man of ancient China and prophet of the Tao-Te-Ching, used to have been born as a man of seventy years.

Megan sighed, proferring an interesting guess. "May Mr. Takato be the prophet of the things that were, and the things to come?"

Nevel nodded. "That would be the solution, or the catastrophe, depending on the situation."

Dustin wondered. "Can't Takato annoint you, if he's The Prophet?"

Nevel sighed. "Maybe, but he could also annoint Katie Peckerman. If Katie has found the seal, and she shows up at Takato's, we're doomed!"

Dustin and Megan shuddered with fear.

Dustin's cellular phone vibrated.

"Hi … Zoey!" Dustin beamed.

Megan and Nevel stood still.

Dustin smiled. "You're coming for the junior prom party? Hey, that's cool!" He cheered. "Thanks, and kiss mom back from me! See you!"

On the one hand, Zoey's return was going to make Dustin happy, on the other hand, it caused him to shudder. along with Megan and Nevel.

Nevel shrugged. "Katie Peckerman will sure as hell show up!"

Dustin sighed. "Katie has been stalking Zoey since they were ten years old. I have thought that Zoey was safe here, after she had left home for this school, but I was so mistaken. It was as if Katie had known from the very start that Zoey was going to lead her to the ghost of Galloway."

Nevel was scared by this apparent connection. "Also, the rumour says that Charles Galloway had fled from classes, right into the barren wastelands named Redstone Gulch, where he died. His tomb was found right where expected."

Dustin choked. "So, let me get it straight: Nobody had seen Galloway dying there, so, how did the rumour get started?"

Megan also remarked that Charles Galloway had impossibly put himself into his own tomb, unless … She shuddered even more. "Ritual suicide?"

Dustin shivered.

Nevel remained cold, but he pondered other things. "Dustin, you say that Logan Reese had stolen a locket from Galloway's tomb, and hidden in Zoey's backpack, right?"

Dustin nodded. "Correct! The ghost haunted them thereafter, and chaos occurred when they reached the PCA again."

Nevel nodded. "Well, I sense that the locket was more than just a normal pendant."

Dustin was still scared. "They put the locket back into the tomb. Then the spook had stopped."

Nevel nodded. "Well, the amulet was certainly magical."

Megan coughed. "Do you want us to go to Redstone Gulch, and get the locket from the tomb, again?"

Dustin shivered.

Nevel sighed. "I fear that would be in vain."

Dustin and Megan were confused.

Nevel moaned. "My guess is that Katie Peckerman has already been there and done that, or, maybe, sent some lackey to do that for her."

Megan trembled. "Could the amulet be, or contain, the Seal of Solomon?"

Nevel shrugged. "If it does, and Katie has got it, it will be our end. We might be going to rue it through dystopia."

* * *

** 7.3. The Prom**

* * *

A can arrived on the campus lot.

Dustin watched with excitement when the door opened. "Zoey!" He screamed when he ran up to his sister, jumping into her arms.

Zoey almost felt pushed to the grown, so massive was the impact from Dustin's friendly onslaught. "Hi, Dustin. I will stay here, so you don't have to squish me all at once!"

Dustin sighed. But he knew that Katie Peckerman was probably closer than he wanted her to be.

Chase and Addie passed by in order to greet Zoey

Zoey smiled. "May I care about my luggage and my dorm first?"

Addie and Chase helped Zoey, talking about what had happened in her absence.

* * *

Zoey entered the dorm with Stacey and Lola.

Her bed was still free, as if everyone had just been waiting for her to come back.

Lola was already in her prom gown. "Too bad you haven't been here in order to make it, so True Jackson and Geena Fabiano have made one for me."

Stacey was not invited to the prom, as girls were not allowed to be prom partners of girls, and Moze was her only friend.

Zoey shrugged. "You won't guess it, my dad is a friend of the manager of Hotel Chambrolay on Maui."

Lola beamed. "That's where Ashton Kutcher and Orlando Bloom come this summer!"

Zoey nodded. "Many VIPs make it there. So, in any case, I'll have a job as a life guard at the beach of Chambrolay."

Lola beamed. "Really? Cool! Too bad I have to tutor my cousin Shelby during the summer."

Zoey nodded. "Actually, I may take someone with me. But whom? I haven't even got a prom mate!"

Lola nodded. "There are still a few hours left. In fact, there's a new student here, his name is James Crandle, he's tall and hot and blond … I've already got Drake, otherwise, maybe …"

Stacey choked. "Denifer! His name is Denifer!"

Lola told Stacey to shut up. "Stop talking about Denifer! Nobody believes you that a tall hottie would ever bother to date you!"

Stacey started weeping.

Lola explained that James had once been her boyfriend, using the name Denifer. "She's insane!"

Zoey nodded. "OK, and you think that he will be my prom date?"

Lola grinned. "Sure! You just have to be nice to him, as you are always to strangers lost on the campus, especially those that don't look really ugly. And James has been treated really bad. Logan has done everything to discredit him, as he fears his competition as a womaniser."

Zoey shrugged. "OK!Let me see what I can do …"

* * *

Zoey circumspected the campus. There she spotted him: James Garrett. "Hi, are you new here?"

James nodded. "Kind of. I've arrived after fall break. Oh. I haven't seen you here either!"

Zoey couldn't imagine why James was that lonely. The girls should have really killed off each other for him. "I've been in England for several months. Now I'm back. Do you want to be my prom partner?"

James smiled. "OK! But how about a sushi, first? I'm hungry!"

Zoey nodded. "Off to Sushi Rox!"

The two of them circumambulated the campus, hand in hand.

* * *

James and Zoey had been sitting there, enjoying sead-wrapped tuna.

James smiled. "OK, thanks for the wonderful for two. Although we don't even know each other, not a lot, at least."

Zoey smiled.

James awarded Zoey with a kiss.

Zoey grinned. "Oh my goodness!" She kissed him back.

Both of them did not know that they had been observed.

* * *

Nevel shook his head. "That went really fast!"

Dustin nodded. "Zoey is so not a loose girl. There must be something fishy!"

Megan agreed wholeheartedly. "We need to observe them during the prom night, too!"

Dustin sighed. "How to get into there without an invitation?"

Megan scratched her head. "We just need to send Juana Evangelista there, she's Michael Barret's date, in there, with a button hole cam!"

Nevel nodded. "Talking about Michael, he has now learned to ride a stick-controlled car, but how … he had to mix sushi salad, and stomp on grapes with his feet."

Megan shook her head. "That's the zen of riding a stick car!"

Dustin grinned.

* * *

The prom had begun.

Nevel, Megan, and Dustin watched the whole thing on their laptop, transmitted from Juju's cam via firewire.

Lola really choked when she saw her little sister. "You're so premature!"

Juana Evangelista grinned. "Really? At least Michael doesn't make stupid stuff with me, as Drake does with you." Then she saw Shelby and Vince passing by. "Our cousin is much worse!"

Lola sighed. "Vince is such a hottie, I wonder how he made it back hereto, after his ban."

Zoey greeted Lola. "Thanks for your hint, James is really super!" She smiled.

Lola high-fived with Zoey.

Logan and his prom-bride Missy Meany wore the most expensive outfit. "We've been in Paris for this. 20,000 bucks," boasted he gracelessly.

Missy grinned sadistically.

Chase and Addie sighed. "Geena has sewed that stuff for us, last minute."

Zoey nodded. "Geena is wonderful. I think she can easily put up with the competitors from Paris or Milan."

James smiled. "OK, let's dance, Zoey!"

Zoey nodded solemnly, and off they were, sweeping each other across the dancing floor.

Shelby and Vince performed some sort of martial dance, impressing each other with martial skills.

Shelby explained unto Vince that Lola would have wanted him for herself, but as she had already got Drake, she had recommended him to her.

Vince smiled. "Oh, yeah, good old Lola!" He grinned. "It would have been Ashley's plan to set me up with Lola, but she had suddenly changed her mind, due to some Katie Peckerman, whoever that is."

Lola trembled. "The winner of the beauty pageant?" Lola should have understood that there was something fishy, but she wasn't smart enough to draw any conclusions.

Vince shrugged, and he kept on smiling. He did not understand Ashley's strategies, either.

Juanita and Michael danced along.

Michael wondered why Juanita behaved strangely. He didn't know about the micro cam hidden in her gown.

Of course Juanita wanted to let Megan see as much as possible from the prom dance. "I just like it. Have you seen your non-existing friend again?"

Michael sighed with despair. "Nobody wants to believe me that there is a Mr. Takato, middle school teacher for mathematics."

Juju shook her head. "There isn't! Your Mr. Takato must be an imposter. Ask Dean Rivers, if you refuse to believe me."

Michael shook his head. "If he doesn't believe me, he will send me to the school's shrink."

Juana Evangelista shrugged. "I know that you're crazy, but I like you anyways!"

Michael sighed. "OK, if you say so …" He shrugged helplessly. "At least you believe me that there is some Mr. Takato."

Juana nodded. "Nothing comes from nothing. But you shouldn't worry about it. Maybe Takato has just always wished to be a teacher."

While Megan watched the news from Juana's microcam, Dustin went through the year books. "There he is! Hiro Takato, a student teacher that taught mathematics at the Pacific Coast Academy."

Nevel choked. "Taught? As in long ago? Well, a guy of 70 years isn't supposed to be a student teacher, right?"

Dustin nodded. "Indeed, it was fifty years ago, exactly when … Charles Galloway was a pupil, and alive!"

Nevel glared. "In other words, Mr. Takato knew Charles Galloway alive. Maybe he has to do with his death?"

Megan shivered.

Nevel shrugged.

Dustin sighed. "So, what about your theory that Mr. Takato has never been young, but a wise man that has always been as old as he is now?"

Nevel shook his head. "It's not my theory, it's a legend about the seven wise men."

Megan and Dustin agreed on this making sense.

Megan directed their attention to the screen. "Look, James fumbles with his pockets!" She instructed Juana Evangelista to move closer to James and Zoey.

Michael was a bit confused.

James smiled. "And because you were so nice, I've got this gift for you." He opened a box.

Dustin was flabbergasted. "Zoey's can't promise to marry him, after just a few hours, that would be so … stupid!"

Zoey smiled. "Oh, a locket!"

Dustin sighed with relief.

Megan choked. "Could it be the locket of Charles Galloway?"

Nevel zoomed in. "It looks new … so …"

Zoey read an inscription. "I love you. James." She looked with surprise. "Really?"

James nodded solemnly.

Zoey kissed James again.

The other prom dancers swooned for awe.

Nevel gunted. "Don't get deceived by the locket's appearance! It may have been polished, just in order to deceive Zoey!"

Megan shrugged. "How may we tell whether it's the locket of Charles Galloway?"

Nevel sighed. "I'd have to get close to it, in order to sense the magics of the locket. If Zoey wears it, it may be her doom."

Dustin was consternated. "Juanita, you have to take the locket from Zoey! Please! It's vital!"

Juanita was consternated. "You ask me what?"

Michael heard Juana's reaction. "Hey! What are you talking about?"

Lola's little sister grinned. "Nothing …"

Zoey tried to don the thing, but it was awkward.

James sighed. "We've got all the time in the world, no need to hurry it."

Zoey smiled. "I will wear it on Maui!"

Dustin sighed with relief. "OK, I will steal the locket when Zoey …"

Megan shrugged. "Will you get near it?"

Dustin sighed. "Last Year, I snuck into Zoey's dorm, pretending that I was afraid of a movie I had just seen. Shinyusha[[47]] …"

Megan shuddered. "Oh, I've watched that thing together with the boobs. It was really grisly … frenzied ninjas, and all that stuff. We had to squeeze each other in order to stand through the movies. Mom hadn't allow me to watch it, but Drake talked Josh into letting me watch, too."

Nevel grinned.

Megan sighed. "If Zoey goes to Maui, it would be fair to let you go there, too."

Dustin shrugged. "Of course, maybe I should ask dad." He took his cellular phone, typing a long number. "Dad! It's Dustin … yeah, everything is fine. I've heard that Zoey will be on Hawaii during the summer break, but what about me? … Oh, thanks, cool! And I may take someone with me, too? .. OK, byebye!" He grinned. "OK, who of you wants to join me to Maui?"

Nevel and Megan shrugged.

Megan decided to let Nevel go. "I want to spend some time with Josh, and Nevel is most likely to know what to do, in case …"

Dustin agreed. "If Nevel is there, he may sense the magics of the amulet on site!"

Nevel agreed. "The only disavantage is the one that Megan's oboe is portable, a piano can't be taken to Hawaii without sweat. So we can't control Galloway, using the oboe."

Megan nodded.

They looked back on screen.

Firewire danced with startled-looking Mindy Crenshaw, former girlfriend of Josh Nichols. "Do you believe that the end is near?"

Mindy shrugged. "I've heard a few little explosions, the signs of the pending apocalypse. Right when Zoey looked at her new locket …"

Firewire had noticed that. "Doom and gloom are awaiting us, all of us!"

* * *

** 7.4. After The Prom**

* * *

Nevel and Dustin have researched on the net.

Megan wanted to know their results.

Dustin explained that said Hiro Takato, student teacher for mathematics at the Pacific Coast Academy, had been born on Maui. "Of course it isn't surprising that an American citizen of Japanese ethnicity was born on Hawaii, there are so many of them."

Megan nodded. "Of course, yet I sense strongly that the key is found on Maui."

Nevel nodded solemnly.

* * *

Michael had seen Mr. Takato again. He dared to talk about it to Juana. "On my way home, I saw him riding on a bony, old cow, and I asked him to show up to my friends, so they will believe me."

Juana shrugged. "What did he say?"

Michael sighed. "According to himself, he didn't exist!"

Juana Evangelista almost fell over laughing. "He definitely has got something to hide."

Michael sighed with despair. "At least you don't laugh about me!"

She shrugged. "Why would I want to laugh about a cool guy?"

Michael calmed down.

* * *

Zoey wondered why Dustin had started acting strangely around herself. "You don't like James, do you?"

Dustin shrugged. "It's your choice, you are almost eighteen, so won't listen to your little brother, anyways … but he scares me."

Zoey shook her head. "I know, you get easily scared, but James is such a sweet guy."

Dustin moaned. "You don't even know him for more than a day or two …"

Zoey shrugged. "Doesn't matter. If we enjoy Maui, maybe we will marry as soon as we turn eighteen. And you will be our best man." She smiled.

Dustin coughed. "Er … sure!"

True and Geena walked in. "Hi, Zoey, how was fashion in London?"

Zoey sighed. "The London School Of Fashion is not bad, but I will have a look at Paris and Milan, too. That said, it's not unlikely I'm going to study at London's institute for fashion."

Dustin sighed.

True and Geena hugged Zoey. "Oh, and congratulations for James. We would have wanted him, too."

Zoey smiled.

Geena explained that most of the girls had featured James, but that he was a bit of a recluse when it came down to girls. "Plus, Logan has told everyone that James had already got a girlfriend in New Mexico."

Zoey shrugged. "New Mexico? He doesn't look like a Mexican chico! Logan must be too silly." She shook her head.

True and Geena grinned. "Whatever. You are so lucky …"

* * *

James took his laptop, and started typing.

* * *

**Dear Katie. **Zoey Brooks has swallowed the bait with hook, line, and sinker. She's proud of the locket that I gave her. Granted, she hasn't done so, as of yet, but she has promised to do that on Maui, right in the lion's den. She's really stupid, thinking that I might love her, although I only love you. Too bad you can't come with me to Maui.

Yours truly loving and forever addicted

James Denifer Garrett

* * *

** Chapter 8. Finale On Maui**

* * *

** 8.1. Arrival**

* * *

Dustin and Nevel yawned all the time when they were sitting in the plane from Los Angeles to Honolulu.

Dustin had never been flying before.

Zoey and James were all calm.

James could not wait for the moment when Zoey was going to don her locket, or, rather the one of Charles Galloway.

Dustin and Nevel were anxious. They knew that Zoey had had the intention to wear the medallion on Maui, but they could not be around her all the time.

In addition, Dustin had missed the moment when Zoey stuffed the locket into her luggage, so he had no clue which of her suitcases or bags held the dangerous jewelry.

* * *

Megan was visiting Josh at Première Theater, the cinema where Josh worked during the vacations.

Josh had promised to watch a movie with Megan:

_Prep School Musical_, the work of Malcolm Reese, featuring prominently both Lola Martinez and Ashley Blake, and with a theme provided by Drake Parker and his band.

Drake was not with them, as he had been a bit feverish for a few days.

Megan was incredibly excited. She knew that Nevel and Dustin were going to inform her as soon as possible, once they had an information to share.

Strangeley, Chambrolay was also the name of the first hotel Megan had ever been in[[48]], and that was very close to the PCA. .

Of course the hotels belonged to a large chain, with branches reaching from Maui over Santa Monica to Seattle[[49]] . But why did the chain select places like these?

Santa Monica was close top the PCA, Seattle was where Carly lived. And Maui was the birthplace of Takato.

This could not have been a coincidence.

If Megan missed the call, things were very likely to slip out of hand.

Megan knew that Josh was not going to believe in ghosts and stuff, although Quinn had informed him about her adventure with Charles Galloway at Redstone Gulch.

He was a man of science.

For that reason, there was no reason for her to mention all the stuff about Mr. Takato and the cursed amulet.

Cookie bounded in. "What's up, sweetheart?"

Josh snuggled up to Cookie. "Hi! I've promised my little step-sis to …"

Megan was a bit disappointed, as Josh spent more free moments with Cookie, but she was more worried about Nevel and Dustin in Hawaii, anyways. So, it all came down to that locket. She had always thought that lockets were great gifts for lovers[[50]], but the possibility of a curse gave her totally the creeps. She was ready to use her oboe when she felt that there was something wrong with Nevel and Dustin on Maui, but how exactly was she going to sense it, if the boys were not able to reach her with a phone call, and what tune was she going to play?

* * *

Nevel and Dustin had just entered their suite at Hotel Chambrolay, and they were caring about their luggage. Unfortunately, they had not found an excuse to stay with Zoey while she was taking care of hers.

Nevel sent an SMS to Megan, trying to explain the situation, which was of course not easy in just a few words.

Dustin remarked that he had taken a look at the hotel's night bar, while they had been dragging their luggage from the helicoper to their suites.

Nevel wondered: "And so?"

Dustin grinned. "There's a piano inside …"

Nevel gasped. "So you think that there's a chance of using it in order to control the ghost, should he break out?"

Dustin nodded. "That will help. Although I still wish that Megan could be here with us."

Nevel nodded solemnly.

Someone knocked at the door.

Dustin recognised Zoey's voice, and he opened for his sister. "Hi Zoey!"

Zoey tried to smile, but she had to yawn. "Sorry, guys, but I'm dead on my feet now. I'm going to go to sleep now."

Dustin ished Zoey a good night.

Zoey nodded. "OK, Dustin, don't stay up past 10 p.m., and no coffee, no alcohol, and no tobacco." She yawwned again, before she gave her little brother a good-night kiss on the top of his head. "I'll don the locket tomorrow, don't miss it, please!"

Nevel grinned. "We won't!"

Dustin nodded. "OK, sis!"

Zoey disappeared again.

Dustin grinned.

Nevel unpacked something.

It was a plastic recorder.

Dustin gasped. "Wow! May you play it?"

Nevel nodded. "Not as well as Megan masters her oboe. That's while I've been ashamed too much to admit to it. And recorders are much less impressive than oboes."

Dustin shrugged. "I've tried to play it in elementary school, but I overblew it too often. That was before Zoey came and taught me to be more patient with many things. But I'm sure Megan would not make fun of it."

Nevel shrugged. "With or without my recorder, Megan's oboe is our only hope, since we haven't yet found the seal of Solomon. But not even Megan will suffice, many pupils of our school need to help us when time has come…"

Dustin shrugged. Was there any hope left?

* * *

** 8.2. The Locket**

* * *

Dustin and Nevel joined James and Zoey to breakfast.

Dustin was deadly excited. Of course he did not want Zoey to wear the amulet before some mgical screening and scrutiny would have resulted in it being harmless, which he feared not to be the case.

Nevel was waiting for the right moment to get close to the amulet.

Zoey smiled, looking lovingly at James. "OK, today's the great day where I'm going to wear this wonderful amulet for the very first time, and present it proudly to the public, along with my wonderful lover James."

"Awwwww!" James smiled, and he kissed Zoey on the mouth, making Dustin and Nevel shudder with disgust.

Zoey took the amulet from a box where she had been storing it before the flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu. "Here it is!"

Nevel saw it, and he needed to sneak closer.

Dustin feigned making Nevel trip over his feet. "Sorry!"

Nevel stumbled into Zoey's direction. "Oops!" His eyes gleamed in a strange shade of pure white when his gaze scrutinised the locket.

Dustin's heart stood still.

Nevel held three fingers aloft behind his back.

That was a signal he had agreed on with Dustin.

Dustin screamed at the top of his lungs: "Don't do it, Zoey!"

Too late …

Nevel took the recorder. He wasn't secure in the knowledge as of what to do, but he tried to play a _Dies Irae, Dies Illa_.

Dustin hid behind Nevel.

It was too late for a phone call to San Diego.

Only if Megan reacted to their telepathic message, some hope was still left.

* * *

Megan had been allowed to stay in Drake's and Josh's room over night, as they had returned only late from the cinema, and Josh was not at home.

She had read the messages from Nevel, both the already mentioned one they had sent last night, plus one they had sent ere the rise of sun.

All of a sudden, the sky went dark-green.

She also felt a strange psychic wave rush through her brain.

It was the same unnatural green that had appeared to Zoey and her friends when they returned from Redstone Gulch, with Galloway's amulet hidden in Zoey's luggage.

A green flash of lightning struck the neighbour's treehouse, incinerating it on site.

Megan hoped that Robbie Carmichael, the owner of the treehouse, had not had a sleepover in it. She wore a cape. Then she tried to wake Josh up, but to no avail.

The giant boob was terribly fast asleep.

Long ago, Megan had made fun of Josh's unbreakable sleep, but this was a pain.

She felt that the unnatural lightening storm could only mean one thing: A tomb curse, and, most likely, that of Charles Galloway. Zoey must have donned the blasted amulet! She grabbed her oboe, while still hoping to wake up Josh. Then she left through the window, looking after Robbie Scooter Carmichael. "Robbie!"

Josh showed signs of waking up. "Megan? Where are you?" He was still half asleep, and his yawn was louder than the soiund of the lightening storm. Finally, he sat up on hi bed. He noticed Megan outside. "megan! Come here!" He was deadly worried about his step-sister's help. "Megan! You're much too young to die!"

Megan started to blow the wooden reed as soon she could concentrate, hoping that it was not too late. The boob may be worried about her, but there were things at stake much bigger than her own health.

* * *

Logan had a whirlpool party with his girlfriends at the summer residence of the Reese family in Santa Barbara.

All of them had been following his invitation, from wherever they resided during the vacations: Maris Bingham, Missy Meany, Patricia Perez, Cranberry Sinclair.

They had been sitting in the family's whirlpool for several hours, giggling mercilessly.

Chaunsee, the butler of the Reese family, was forced to pump the water. He complained a lot.

Too bad, Logan showed no trace of a mercy.

Suddenly, green clouds appeared above Santa Barbara.

The girls had seen traces of green clouds when they were at the PCA, and Megan had given demos of her supernatural abilities.

But those clouds were larger and darker.

Even Logan was intimidated, although he had always thought that Galloway's green clouds were buried in the past, forever.

Maris was the first to scream in panic,

The other girls and Logan held her tightly, in an attaempt to calm her down.

But the terror was totally contageous.

A green flash shot forth from the clouds, followed briefly by a thunder that sounded like demonic laughter.

Logan jumped astir. "OK, girls, we need to make a movie of it, and sell it, beating the records that any movie had hitherto reached, in all the history of movies."

Inspite of being terrified, the girls agreed wholeheartedly.

Poor Chaunsee, in turn, appeared petrified. The end was nigh, wasn't it?

Logan took his tek-made, calling the technical production team. "Get ready in five minutes! … Yes, I know that it's ugly outside, but we need to film that as long as it's lasting, not when it's over, and we will mourn about a lost chance!" He ignored any warning.

The girls grabbed a bottle of champaign.

"Let's celebrate the greatest movie hit ever," exclaimed Maris.

Missy Meany chimed in: "And the one who made it all possible:"

"Logan Reese, the sexiest of all possible producers … ever!"

Pattie and Cranberry grabbed Logan, hurling him cheerfully aloft.

The team arrived in a helicopter.

Freddie Benson, an unpaid intern of the team, sighed."You know that this will be very expensive? I speak billions…"

Logan chuckled. "You're talking to the richest teenagers of the USA!"

Sam Puckett, who served as Freddie's assistant, groaned. "Do I get an extra slice of ham if we complete the movie?"

Logan nodded. "As much ham as you may eat bvefore blowing up your intestines."

Sam smiled. "Deal!"

Freddie groaned, but he could not resist his blond assistant's sixpack arguments.

* * *

Quinn Pensky was sittingin her secret laboratory in Seattle. She had kept on experimenting with some strange, bubbling liquids. She yawned when some green mist penetrated the shut and obfuscated windows of the lab room. "Dern, the green liquid must have escaped …" She took a closer look at the green stuff. "Hey! Is that really the steam of my green liquid?" She examined her test tubes closer.

The tube containing the green bubbling sewage was still whole and insulated.

There was no way green steam could have evaporated from within.

In addition, the mist and the liquid differed somewhat in shade.

"Strange!" Quinn took another look.

Finally the mist exhibited clearly some swirling motions within, and a demonic voice without a human carrier was heard.

Quinn squealed. "Charles Galloway!" Had the curse of the amulet that Logan had stolen from the tomb followed her to Seattle? She cried in panic. She remembered that all of her scientific knowledge had been powerless when she had encountered the phantasmal apparition for the first time in his life. After that, she had experienced a few brief visions of that green mist, but had seen it as a result of her fantasy that had been spoiled by her encounter with Galloway. All of a sudden, Quinn suffered again form the incompetence of science when it came down to explaining the superreal, such as curses, maledictions, or the whole world of the undead. She screamed in agony, trying to remember some chemicals that she had tried back then against Galloway.

They had been in vain.

But, maybe, this time, she was a bit more lucky. In panic, Quinn mixed everything she had on stock in her secret laboratory.

Wrooooommmmm! Zibaaaang!

The laboratory, and everything within, was blown into smithereens.

Quinn moaned with agony, but she stayed alive.

Alas, the smoke and dust caused by the explosion added to the swirling mist of Charles Galloway.

A billowing cloud was rigged and ready to spread all over Seattle.

Quinn cried, unheard. She wished she had been more alert back when Paige had almost blown up the campus, because she had not been aware of the spirit of Galloway.

Now it was too late, wasn't it?

Quinn also remembered that Megan Parker had used to control the green stuff with her oboe. Maybe a trombone would do the same? Alas, the trombone was not in her lab, and, had it been, it would not have withstood the violent explosion. Quinn sobbed. Was it possible for her, weak and injured as she was, to fetch the trombone, and figure how to use it for that one purpose, before she was forced to bite the dust? Question after question, yet no answer was in sight.

* * *

Carly Shay, along with her "responsible" elder brother Spencer, shrieked when she found her home, Bushwell Plaza in the center of Seattle, enshrouded by a gross-looking cloud.

Spencer speculated. "Lewbert has farted again? I've toild him not to eat too many beans and onions."

Lewbert was the custodian of Bushwell Plaza, distinguished by ba variety of gross habits.

Carly was sure that the cloud was nothing like that. She clang tightly to Spencer. "Save me!"

Spencer tried to feign that there was no reason to worry. "It will all be good." Alas, he didn't believe in that.

* * *

Michael Barret was playing his flute, practising a new tune that he had written for "his" Juana Evangelista Martinez to dance to. "Oh, don't you love that accord," he whispered to himself.

Suddenly, his flute started to play on its own.

"Hey! I haven't touched that hole, and…" Michael tried to correct his fingerings, but, whatever he attempted to do, it was the same strange tune resulting thitherfrom. Where, pray tell, had he already heard that tune?

Just a second later, green smoke blew like steam from the flute's holes.

Michael squealed in agony, and he dropped his flute like a bar of red and hot steel. "Run, or else they will kill you," screamed he at the top of his lungs. Finally, he was remembering all the incidents involving billowing green mist, starting with Charles Galloway. He also remembered Juanita's performance during the Open MIC Night. Had the lyrics of her performance really been a last warning for the audience before the ultimative undeads' invasion? The wild hunt was upon them? He also knew that Megan and Nevel had been able to control the green stuff with music, especially Megan's oboe. He figured that he could use his flute for the same purpose, as both of them were woodwinds. Alas, the experience of the unnatural smoke billowing forth from the orifices of his flute had given him the creeps. Had he really got the guts to go and pick his flute again? What if the world's destiny depended on it? Alas, he had no clue what tune to play, even if he had been able to concentrate on playing the flute. He looked for his clackers. They were music instruments, too, well, at least kind of, sort of. And they had not got any orifices for the swirling green mass to billow forth from. He had to try … ignore fear, ignorance, and disgust …

* * *

True Jackson was applying for an internship with a fashion factory in her hometown New York.

The corporation was named Madstyle.

She entered the reception hall, where she was greeted by some baldheaded receptionist named Oscar.

Lulu Johnson and one certain Ryan Laserbeam accompanied their friend.

Amanda Cantwell, a very hypocritical Vice President, tried to badmouth True's hand-designed outfit.

Alas, True did not get distracted by Amanda's hostility, and she insisted in seeing the boss.

Maximillian Maddigan, the CEO of Madstyle, came along. "What's going on here?"

Amanda taunted True, making fun of the ornations she had attached on her clothes. "That stingray is so tasteless!"

True grunted, as the stingray was the crest of her school.

Max Maddigan did not share the impression of his Vice President.

Suddenly, a green mass developed around the ornations.

Mr. Maddigan beamed. "Wow! That's creativity! The next generation of fashion!"

Amanda coughed. "It was my idea?"

True choked. "Hey! I don't know where that green thing comes from …"

Max laughed. "Very funny!"

Alas, diabolic voices burst forth from within the mist.

Amanda ran away, screaming.

Max smiled. "Cool!"

True was flabbergasted. "I don't know where the mist and the voices …" But then she remembered the rumours that she had heard at the Pacific Coast Academy, concerning Charles Galloway. "Oh my goodness, the revenant!"

Max was keen on being the first to sell the new revenant style.

True was like petrified.

The green mist wallowed all along the office space, covering anyone.

Chaos broke loose.

Lulu and Ryan took cover under a table, just to notice that the space had been already occupied by some Coppleman.

True sighed. "The rumours are correct. It's the wild hunt. We are lost, and doomed."

Lulu giggled. "Sounds cool!" Then she felt a pain in her brain. "My dear friend Carly is in danger, I feel it."

True remarked that everyone was in danger.

Ryan smiled. "I don't care!" Suddenly, he was wrapped into a green whirl, and blown out through the window.

True screamed with agony. She felt that her idol Zoey was in even worse danger, that was no good.

James Maddigan, the nephiew of the band, entered with his drum sticks. "Hey, has anyone seen that strange green mist?"

True gasped. "That's our doom!" Now she remembered that Geena had told her about Megan and her oboe. "Wait, if you may play some mysterious tune with your drums …"

Jimmy could only play rhythms, not tunes, and he had no clue as of what sort of rhythm would be considered mysterious enough, but he promised to try…

* * *

Rocky Road, the home of Addie, Geena, Zach.

Geena envied Maris, Patty, and Cranberry to the death. "They are now partying in a whirlpool in Santa Barbara, while we are stuck here at Rocky Road, boring us to death."

Addie agreed wholeheartedly.

Zach shrugged. "Boredom is half of man's life, the rest is panic."

All of a sudden, some filthy, green fog billowed all over the road.

The teenies recognised what sort of unnatural mist that was.

Zach boomed: "Capitalism and Exploitation of the environment have gone too far. Nature strikes back, we are doomed!"

Addie and Geena did not understand Zach's communist and environmentalist concerns, but they feared the creeping, unnaturally green mist no less than Zach.

Addie took her guitar. "Time for _Ghost Riders In The Sky_!"

Geena sighed. The end was near, hence did it really matter what they were up to doing?

* * *

Drake came home from a party he had attended secretly. "Josh?"

Josh trembled. "Drake! Thanks heaven you're OK!"

Drake shrugged. "OK, a bit of green mist, but …"

Josh told Drake about Megan.

Drake was flabbergasted. "You let Megan exit into the green fog?"

Josh groaned.

Drake grabbed Josh by the sleeves, and he dragged him out into the garden. "Let's look for Megan!"

Josh tembled with dismay.

The boobs had got a hard time finding their way across the billowing mist.

Finally…

"Arrrrghhhh," screamed terrified Josh.

Drake tried to figure what was going on. Then he saw what had consternated Josh:

Megan's lifeless body was lying on the ground, her eyes looking like flaming balls.

The oboe was stuck in her mouth.

Drake accused Josh of having got Megan killed.

Robbie Carmichael was petrified when he saw the scenario.

Josh was upset, because Drake had been absent, otherwise, so he suggested, Megan would still have been alive.

Drake sobbed. He took his guitar. With tears in his eyes, he played a melody he had often heard Megan perform on her oboe…

* * *

Ashley watched Vince Blake trying out for a football club. She cheered fanatically.

Suddenly, green clouds covered the sky above the pitch, blocking all the sun out.

A green lightening flashed, and a diabolic thunder bellowed.

Blake was struck by a bolt.

Ashley ran over to him. "Vince!" Her heart stood still.

Vince was still alive, but he tembled and groaned. "Katie Peckerman has promised unto us that the green stuff was not going to hurt us."

Ashley remembered Katie's promise. "Maybe it was wrong to trust Katie?"

Vince nodded silently.

Suddenly, Katie Peckerman stood behind them. "Hahahah, do you fools believe that you are any better than the rest of the pest? Go and rot!" She disappeared as fast as she had appeared.

* * *

Chase Matthews had been submitting the script of a drama to the Broadway.

The manager was content. "It's cool, and you have suggested some Lola Martinez for the female main rôle?"

Chase nodded solemnly. "She's great!"

The manager shrugged. "I've never heard of her, but we should try."

Suddenly, a green cloud developed from nowhere, enshrouding Chase's script.

The manager laughed. "What sort of trick is that?"

Alas, it was neither a trick, nor fun.

Chase remembered Charles Galloway, and, although knee-deep in panic, he was still aware of the ease with which Megan and her oboe had manipulated the green mist at PCA. He took his guitar, which he had wanted to use in order to present a passage from his musical to the Broadway.

The tune had been written by Michael Barret.

Chase could only wake and pray when he tried to imitate Megan's oboe with his guitar.

* * *

Lola and Juana Evangelista were having a ride on the _Demonator_, a rollercoaster[[51]] at Mystic Mountain.

Without warning, the train rode into a billowing emerald cloud.

Lola had been the least concerned when Charles Galloway struck PCA for the first time, but now she squealed like a little girl.

Juanita knew that this must have been the demonic mist Megan had often talked about. Against the rules for the security in rollercoasters, which were already valid for clear weather, let alone for natural or unnatiral fog, she removed the safety bar, stood up, and performed a dance in the rollercoaster car. Somehow, it was as if she heard Megan's oboe from another dimension.

Lola was consternated.

* * *

Dustin and Nevel had been like paralysed when they felt that something must have gone terribly wrong with Megan.

Zoey, who had been apathetic like a zombie since she had donned the locket, commanded James to do something.

James giggled demonically. "Aw, you foolish wench! Katie was so right."

Zoey looked aghast. "Katie?"

James giggled. "Katie Peckerman, the Queen of the world, once I've achieved the ritual of binding the last holy virgin forever to the dark side, thusly obtaining the seal of Solomon for Master Katie." He glared demonically at Zoey.

"Katie Peckerman?" Zoey screamed with agony. She understood that she was meant when James talked about the last holy virgin, although she had never thought of herself as such a thing.

Zoey cried desperately for the manager of the hotel.

James grinned. "Yeah, do that!"

Along came a senile Japanese guy. "Ma'm, you've called me?"

Nevel awoke to some degree from his paralysis, as he instinctively recognised the "manager" as Mr. Takato. He was still dazed when he tried to make Dustin awake. "Mr…Takato?"

James grinned. "Sir, I've been waiting for this moment for many a year."

Mr. Takato smiled. "You are James Garrett, right? A vision has told me about your arrival."

James beaamed. "I'm working for Miss Peckerman, claimant to the title of the ultimate heir of King Solomon."

Mr. Takato nodded. "Once you have accomplished your quest, your master will be anointed."

Nevel stood up. "No way!"

James grinned. "That little toad wants to tell me what …"

Nevel told them that he, too, was a claimant. "But I've not got the Seal of Solomon."

Mr. Takato moaned. "OK, let's see … Oh no! You, Nevel Papperman, carry the seal of Solomon with you!"

Nevel was puzzled.

Dustin was finally awake. "Zoey? Nevel?"

Zoey still trembled through and through.

Mr. Takato directed his gaze towards Nevel. "Your supreme love for Dustin Brooks and Megan Parker, and your musical prowess, when combined, are the Seal of Solomon."

Dustin was puzzled. In other words, Nevel had been carrying the seal on him for over a year.

Nevel bowed in awe before the wise man.

James poued and groaned. "And what about Katie and me?"

Mr. Takato looked sternly. "Katie has abused her powers in order to guide mankind astray. Nevel did not. For that reason, Katie will be deprived for good from her magic powers."

James was consternated. With his head hanging down to his knees, he walked out on the onlookers, and was never going to be seen again.

Zoey had been struggling for several minutes in order to get rid of her amulet. Finally, she succeeded, and she rendered the obnoxious locket unto Mr. Takato, secure in the knowledge that he knew best what to do.

Mr. Takato nodded. "Thanks. Once Nevel has been exalted, you may return the amulet to the tomb of Charles Galloway. He had been the last one in a long list of pupils who had set out to seek the Seal of Solomon, since the desacration of Zion by Emperor Hadrian who defeated the revolt of Shimeon bar Kohbah, but, like anyone before him, failed miserably. The amulet had been passed mysteriously from seeker to seeker, adding to the curse that it had acquired already under Bar Kohbah."

Zoey and Dustin watched in awe when Mr. Takato performed a ceremony on Nevel.

It was like tongues of fire coming down from heavens.

Nevel disappeared in a puff of ethereal smoke.

Mr. Takato promised unto Dustin and Zoey, who hugged each other tightly, that their friend was soon going to reappear.

An invisible choir of angels started singing.

* * *

While Drake, Josh, and Robbie were still moaning, Megan jumped astir. "Hi boobs! Hi Robbie! What's up?" She played a merry tune on her oboe.

The boys looked dumbfounded. "Where's the green mist?"

Megan smiled. "I've dreamt that I was dead, but … hey! Look!"

Up in the sky, they noticed the ethereal outlines of Nevel Papperman.

Megan felt all warm and fuzzy. "Nevel! He made it!"

The boobs were too dumb to understand what had been going on.

* * *

** 8.3. Conclusions**

* * *

The vacations were gone, and a new year started at Pacific Coast Academy.

It turned out that about any of the pupils had been haunted by some green mist.

Many had been severely injured, but, when the mist disappeared, they had recovered in no time.

Zoey was particularly glad when she saw True and Geena again.

Those girls were now founding their own fashion mill.

Stacey Dillsen, whose had got a monumental cotton swab sculpture destroyed by some green smoke, was finally able to complete her first stable monument, with the help of her beloved Jenifer Mosely, of course.

Logan and his girlfriends had been unable to complete their movie, as the mist had disappeared to fast. Now they were all grumpy and bitchy, and left up to their uvula in the debts, as they had wasted everything for nothing.

Quinn, Cookie, Josh, and Paige had to understand that science was nothing _sub specie æternitatis_, but it was their life, no matter what.

Chase and Addie wrote a musical about the events, which was going to be performed a few years later at the Broadway, with music by Michael Barret, and sung by Juana Evangelista Martinez.

Addie and Chase based the musical on a Gaelic poem. "The world will come to an end, and mankind will come to an end, but music and love will endure, my dear."

Nevel, Dustin, and Megan smiled. They knew that nobody else really cared about Nevel's exaltation, but that was of no further relevance for them, as they knew that they had found their way, and they had found it together.

* * *

** The End**

* * *

[[1] ]Duke from _iCarly_ : _iHatch Chicks_ is here identified with Blatzberg. Both of them are portrayed by the same actor and are dumb wrestling jocks

* * *

[[2] ]Corey is taken from _Drake & Josh_ : _Megan's First Kiss_ where he dismantles Drake and Josh

* * *

[[3] ]see _The Great Vince Blake_. Chase's cousin is there anonymous and unportrayed.

* * *

[[4] ]_Drake & Josh_ : _I Love Sushi_

* * *

[[5] ]_Spring Fling_

* * *

[[6] ]_Drake & Josh_ : _Girl Power_

* * *

[[7] ]While being a star in _Unfabulous_, Addie also has got a cameo in _Drake & Josh_ : _Honor Council_ as a friend of Megan

* * *

[[8] ]A minor role in a few third season epis of _Unfabulous_

* * *

[[9] ]_Drake & Josh_ : _Football_

* * *

[[10] ]_People Auction_

* * *

[[11] ]_Drake & Josh_ : _Little Diva_

* * *

[[12] ]in _Hot Dean_

* * *

[[13] ]modified from Jeffries and Garlands, _Take Me To The Matador_ which I don't own.

* * *

[[14] ]seen in _Hot Dean _

* * *

[[15] ]seen in _The Radio_

* * *

[[16] ]Let lotus and laurel be wrought to a winner's crown, let a cloud of flowers enshroud the weapons! Let's dance, Californian girls, the mystic carols, just as the stars ance around the sun in the sky! Come on, champion, enjoy with us! Let's shed laurel and flowers while the heroes are passing by. Thank the gods for this fortunate day!

* * *

[[17] ]_Drake & Josh_ : _Josh runs into Opra_

* * *

[[18] ]from _Chase's Grandma_

* * *

[[19] ]Robert Carmichael from _Drake & Josh_ : _Treehouse_ is portrayed by the same actor as Scooter in _Favor Chain_

* * *

[[20] ]in _Drake & Josh_ : _Blues Brothers_

* * *

[[21] ]_Drake & Josh_ : _The Great Doheny_

* * *

[[22] ]_Makes Me Happy_ by Drake Bell, which I don't own either.

* * *

[[23] ]by Drake Bell, which I don't own either

* * *

[[24] ]_Unfabulous_ by Emma Roberts which I don't own.

* * *

[[25] ]_Come and Play Today_ by Britney and Jamie Lynn Speares which I don't own either

* * *

[[26] ]in _Zoey 101_ : _Quarantine_

* * *

[[27] ]The song is sung multiple times by Stacey in the show. Author unknown, and I don't own it.

* * *

[[28] ]in _Drake & Josh_ : _Dune Buggy_

* * *

[[29] ]_Zoey 101_ : _Chase's Girlfriend_

* * *

[[30] ]Flow along, happy river, flow along, superb one, down to the ocean. I'd like us to switch destinies. Now you're going to bathe …

* * *

[[31] ]_Drake & Josh_ : _Peruvian Puff Pepper_

* * *

[[32] ]_Book of Maccabees_

* * *

[[33] ]_Drake & Josh_ : _Playing The Field_

* * *

[[34] ]suggested by _iCarly_ : _iNevel_

* * *

[[35] ]_iCarly_ : _iWant More Viewers_

* * *

[[36] ]The real base for this is the _Testament Of Solomon_. It's not part of the Old or New Testament, nor acknowledged by the Talmud. Using it, Nevel outs himself as a _minim_, a throroughly unorthdox Jew.

* * *

[[37] ]Greet the banks of the Jordan and the erased towers of Zion

* * *

[[38] ]from the _Drake & Josh_ special about Drake and Josh in Hollywood

* * *

[[39] ]Peter Schilling : _Major Tom_ which I don't own, and I'm not related to P.S., the common surname notwithstanding!

* * *

[[40] ]Days of wrath, those true days, obliterate the world, as witnessed by David through Sibyl

* * *

[[41] ]cf. _Drake & Josh_ : _Little Diva_

* * *

[[42] ]Hebrew cry for (God's) help, in the New Testament mistranslated as a glorification

* * *

[[43] ]highest position above the horizon in a planet's daily course - planets are said particularly influential when they are found there

* * *

[[44] ]hebrew. 'I am that I am', cf. _Exodus 3:14_

* * *

[[45] ]cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Quarantine_

* * *

[[46] ]cf. _iCarly_ : _iLike Jake_

* * *

[[47] ]cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Drippin_

* * *

[[48] ]cf. _Drake & Josh_: _Drake And Josh Go Hollywood_

* * *

[[49] ]cf. _iCarly_: _iRock The Votes_

* * *

[[50] ]cf. _Drake & Josh_: _Megan's First Kiss_

* * *

[[51] ]cf. _Drake & Josh_: _The Demonator_


End file.
